Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey

Overview of key data sources: Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey
Organisation Responsible: Scottish Executive (SE).
Background and purpose: The Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey (SCVS), previously known as the Scottish Crime Survey (SCS), is a household survey of people's experiences and perceptions of crime. The main aims of the SCVS are to:
provide an alternative and complementary measure of crime to the police recorded crime statistics,
examine trends in the level and nature of crime over time,
assess victimisation rates and varying crime risks,
collect information about people's experiences of, and attitudes towards a range of crime-related issues (e.g. concern about crime, attitudes to the police, drug misuse, domestic violence).
The SE is currently undertaking a review of the design of the SCVS. This process is not yet complete, but its conclusions will be implemented in the 2007/08 survey. It is likely that the survey will move to a core and modular questionnaire design with face-to-face method of administration. The sample size is also likely to be larger than the previous face-to-face surveys.
Survey years / frequency: To date, six crime surveys have been undertaken in Scotland. In 1982 and 1988 the Crime Survey in Scotland formed part of the British Crime Survey. The SCS was undertaken in 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2004. The 2006 survey will be the last in its current format.
Survey content: Topics covered by the survey include public perceptions of crime, other forms of victimisation, satisfaction with the police and knowledge and use of controlled drugs and solvents.
Target population: Adults aged 16 and over resident in a private household in Scotland.
Sample size: Random sample of approximately 5,000 adults aged 16 and over selected from the small users Postal Address File.
Response rate: The adjusted response rate (based on all eligible addresses) for the 2004 survey was 67%.
Method of data collection: Face-to-face interview.
Smallest geographical unit reported: To date the SCVS has reported at national level only. There may be scope to report at a lower geography (perhaps annually for some variables and over 2 years for the remainder) within the proposed 2007/08 SCVS, but this is unconfirmed as yet.
Availability of results and further information: Results from the 2003 survey are available from the SE website (results from the 2004 survey are still to be published). The survey data are available from the UK Data Archive and the Economic and Social Data Service. For further information about the survey, email the SE at scvs@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.


http://www.scotpho.org.uk/home/resources/OverviewofKeyDataSources/Surveys/cross_sectional/surveys_scvs.asp