Update on BCS Crime Surveys User Group - 9 December 2008

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Overview –Brief background on the BCS –Update on extending the BCS to under 16s –Plans for the 2009/10 survey –Latest on data archiving

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Background on the BCS –The BCS is a large nationally representative sample survey –Conducted by face-to-face interviews in peoples own homes –Using trained interviewers and a structured questionnaire –Provides key National Statistics on: –Level and trends in crime –Level and trends in use of illegal drugs

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Origins of BCS –The BCS started in 1982 covering all of GB (now just E*W) –Initially conceived as a research tool –Its usefulness meant it was repeated every 2-4 years: –1983, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 –Relatively small national sample between 11,000 and 15,000 per year

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Evolution of BCS –Scope of survey extended over time –In 2001/02 survey moved to continuous fieldwork –Doubling of sample size to 30,000 interviews per year –Change in the crime reference period –Now has a minimum of 1,000 interviews per Police Force Area (national total of around 46,000)

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Current coverage of BCS –Restricted to adults living in residential households –Excludes: –Children aged under 16 –People permanently resident in institutions –The homeless –Public/private/3 rd sector organisations –Recommended that excluded groups should be covered –HO accepted that: –BCS can be extended to children –More regular surveys of crimes against commercial victims needed

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Under 16s: timetable –June 2007: commission feasibility work –October 2007: re-tender BCS and select contractor –January/February 2008: focus groups with children to explore understanding –March/May 2008: development and testing of questions –May 2008: announcement of extension & National Statistics consultation –July 2008: initial field trials in 20 areas –August to October 2008: split sample trial in all areas –November: evaluation of trial –January 2009: launch of new survey

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 National Statistics consultation –Outlined our plans –Primary purpose to obtain measures of victimisation –Sample from households selected for main BCS –20 minute interview with limited scope for additional topics –Lower age range of 10 or 11 –Asked for views on four key questions –What should be the lower age range? –What additional topics should we cover? –What other age groups are there interest in? –How should we report on the results from the survey?

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Lower age range –Mixed views but most argued for 10 years because: –Other surveys (e.g. OCJS) showed it to be feasible –Coherence with other statistics on youth crime (e.g. juvenile offending) –More scope to examine relationship between crime and primary/secondary school transition

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Additional topics –Lots of suggestions including: –Contact and perceptions of the police –Access to diversionary activities and ASB –Awareness of and use of crime prevention advice –Feelings of safety –Experience of bullying (at school and cyber-space) –Parental abuse and sexual violence –Witnessing domestic violence in the home –Use of alcohol and drugs

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Other age groups –Two main suggestions: –10-15 or to preserve continuity of existing survey –10-17 or to make consistent with other sources –There is scope for mixed reporting but considering –Raising the lower age range for adult interview to 18 –Raising the upper age range for child interviews to 17 –Has implications for consistency of BCS trend lines

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Reporting –Differing views: –Keep entirely separate from existing estimates –Report separately but together (at same time) –Integrate with existing estimates –Initially release as experimental statistics probably separately from existing outputs (2009/10) –Likely to be fully integrated in due course (July 2010?)

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Field trials –Split sample experiment showed: –Response to main survey unaffected (76% in both halves) –Around 70% of children responded –Main reason for non-response was parental refusal (20%) –Questionnaire running at slightly over 20 minutes –No major problems

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Under 16s: next steps –Response to National Statistics consultation published in next 2 weeks –Live data collection will start from January 2009 –Anticipate a national achieved sample of 4,000 per year –Consider and consult over change to upper age range in April 2009 –Experimental statistics released in Spring 2010 based on first annual dataset (2009 calendar year)

Questions ? Comments?

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Plans for the 2009/10 survey –No major changes anticipated to the questionnaire content –But some important changes to design/structure: –Intend to drop the youth boost (16-24) –Considering change in age range for adult interview –Considering omission of DV/SV modules for one year

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Update on data archiving (1) –Annual FY BCS microdata deposited at UK DA –Aim to deposit within 4 months of release of annual statistics in July –User guide available (updated annually): – –Fixed questionnaire from 1 st April (2008/09) –2007/08 is now available for users to access –All datasets to 1982 are available –2001 dataset recently withdrawn due to quality concerns

CRIME SURVEYS USER GROUP 9 December 2008 Update on data archiving (2) –Demand for access to low-level geographic coded data –Privilege Access Licence based on ONS model has been developed –2006/07 and 2007/08 datasets have been prepared with –Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) Codes attached –Not yet available awaiting licence agreement to be finalised –Watch this space....

Questions ? Comments?