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Support for victims of crime: findings from the 2002/2003 British Crime Survey

The main aim of this Research Development and Statistics Directorate report is to look at victims' experience toward the Victim's Charter Standards, along with help and support provided to them by Victim Support. The evidence of the report comes from the 2002/2003 British Crime Survey (BCS).

Title: Support for victims of crime: findings from the 2002/2003 British Crime Survey
Author: Research Development and Statistics Directorate
Series: Home Office Online Report 31/84
Number of pages: 32
Date published: July 2004

Key findings

• In the majority of incidents (75%), victims did not want any form of advice or support. The most popular forms required from victims wanting help or support were 

  • information from the police (11% of incidents) 

  • protection from further victimisation (8% of incidents).

• Overall, victims received no information, support or advice in 89% of all incidents, and in 80% of incidents which the police came to know about.

• Victims who reported the incident and who wanted information from the police received it in one-fifth of incidents. For victims that wanted it, 'someone to talk to' was the form of support most often provided (48%).

• In the majority of incidents that the police knew about, victims were very or fairly satisfied with the way the police dealt with the matter (59%).

• Victims of burglary (64%) and violence (63%) were more likely to be satisfied with the way the police handled the matter, than victims of vehicle-related thefts (56%) or vandalism (50%).

• Victims did not have to wait, or waited a reasonable amount of time for the police in just under three-quarters of incidents.

• Victims of vehicle-related thefts (52%) and vandalism (46%) were dealt with immediately in around half of all incidents. This was less than the proportion of violent incidents (62%) where victims were dealt with immediately.

• The phone number of an officer or 'crime desk' was given to victims in 51% of incidents, and a 'Victims of Crime' leaflet was given in 46% of incidents. Victims of burglary and vehicle thefts were more likely to receive these types of information than victims of vandalism and violent incidents.

• Victims felt that the police had shown enough interest in their crime in 65% of incidents, and were kept fairly or very well informed in 34% of incidents. Victims of burglary and violent incidents were more likely to be kept well informed by the police, than victims of vehicle thefts and vandalism.

• Victims knew an offender had been identified in 30% of incidents, and were aware that someone had been charged or cautioned in 43% of these cases.

• In 21% of incidents respondents said they were asked by the police about their fears of further victimisation. Victims were asked about their loss or injury in 52% of incidents.

• Of those victims whose crime was reported to the police, 6% recalled contact with Victim Support, usually initiated by Victim Support.

• Victims who had contact with Victim Support rated it as very or fairly helpful in 64% of incidents.

• Respondents were considerably more likely to have heard of Victim Support (80%) than the Victim's Charter (13%).

Victim's Charter

The Victim's Charter, first published in 1990 and then revised in 1996, sets out 27 standards of service that victims or their families can expect to receive from the criminal justice agencies after the crime has been reported to the police. The Charter is due to be replaced by a statutory victims' code of practice in 2005/06. 

The 27 Victim's Charter Standards are incorporated under 4 main sections:

• You can expect a crime you have reported to be investigated and to receive information about what happens.

• You can expect the chance to explain how the crime has affected you and your interests to be taken into account.

• You can expect, if you have to go to court as a witness, that you will be treated with respect and sensitivity.

• You can expect to be offered emotional and practical support.

This report looks at the Sections Standards, and overall levels of satisfaction with the police handling of the incident, and what victims want in terms of support and information following a crime. 

Public Awareness

The report includes measurements of awareness for the Victim's Charter, and also services of Victim Support.

Victim's Charter

• In the 2002/03 BCS, 13% of respondents had heard of the Victim's Charter. Although this is similar to 2001/02 BCS (14%), this shows a decrease in awareness since the 1998 BCS (34%). This decrease may be due in part to the publicity surrounding the revision of the Victim's Charter in 1996.

• In both the 2001/02 BCS and 2002/03 BCS, men were more likely to be aware of the Charter than women.

• Those with higher household incomes were more likely to have heard of the Charter than those with lower household incomes.

• The type of area people live in (i.e. whether urban or rural) appears to have little association with levels of awareness.

• When comparing awareness by ethnic groups, 9% of Asian respondents had heard of the Charter compared with 12% of black respondents and 13% of white respondents.

Victim Support

• People are considerably more likely to be aware of Victim Support than of the Victim's Charter.

• As with the Victim's Charter, those with higher household incomes were more likely to have heard of Victim Support.

• Asian (47%) and black respondents (66%) were far less likely to have heard of Victim Support than white respondents (82%).

• Awareness of Victim Support among victims (83%), was broadly unchanged since BCS 2001/02 (82%). This was again roughly the same as for adults generally,  BCS 2002/03 (80%) and 2001/02 (80%).

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Last update: Wednesday, September 17, 2008