Most not worried about crime, says survey

Most Irish people do not worry about crime or the effect it has on their quality of life, according to research publised today.

“Fear of Crime in Ireland and its Impact on Quality of Life”, originally commissioned by the former National Crime Council, was today published by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern as part of the development of a White Paper on crime.

According to the survey, 63.5 per cent of respondents do not worry about becoming a victim of crime, 21.5 per cent worried about being a crime victim but did not view that fear as affecting quality of life, while 15 per cent worried about suffering a crime and saw a reduction in their quality of life as a result.

Those worried about criminality tended to have concerns about being burgled, mugged or robbed, having their property vandalised, being attacked by a stranger, having their car stolen and/or having items stolen from their car.

More females were "very worried" about rape, physical attacks by a stranger, burglary and being mugged/robbed; older age groups were more concerned about property crime; while younger respondents tended to be more worried about violent crime.

Factors that may exacerbate the extent of fear and its impact were found to be a prior history of crime victimisation and feelings of personal vulnerability. However, those living in an area with a higher crime rate for burglary appeared less likely to fear crime, suggesting they may come to see it as a normal occurrence.

Those who were dissatisfied with An Garda Síochána, with low levels of education, living in a city other than Dublin, unemployed/not working or retired were also at risk of developing a fear of crime that adversely affected their quality of life.

The research also found respondents "fearful of crime" were more likely to agree with the statements that victims of crime "get a raw deal from the courts" and that ‘the better off you are, the better you are treated by the criminal justice system".

However, the report concluded that, in comparison to a number of international countries surveyed, Irish citizens are less worried about crime and its effect on their quality of life compared to individuals residing in the North, England or Wales.

Announcing the report, Mr Ahern said: “Quite apart from the direct impact of crime itself, fear of crime can adversely affect the quality of people’s lives. An overall strategy to deal with crime also needs to deal with the fear it can engender. The report points to where we need to target our efforts in terms of those groups more likely to fear becoming a victim of crime."

Data for the findings was taken from Garda Public Attitudes Survey 2007. These surveys are commissioned annually by by An Garda investigate respondents’ attitudes to and experiences of the force.

In 2007, the Garda Public Attitudes Survey consisted of a nationally representative sample of 10,067 respondents.

The report is available on the Department’s website www.justice.ie