Young women more likely to be victims of crime

Fourteen per cent of young women aged 16-24 say they have been the victim of a violent crime or threatened with violence in the past year. This is an increase compared to 1995, when seven per cent stated the same.

According to the1997 Survey of Living Conditions six per cent of the population have been victims of a violent crime or threatened with violence in the past 12 months. Compared to the 1995 Survey of Living Conditions, there has been no change in the percentage of people who have experienced violence. The figures, however, hide the changes for young women and men. Episodes of violence have become more common for young women and less so for young men.

In 1995 the percentage of young men victimized by violence or threats of violence was twice as high as for young women. Today the level is the same for the two groups.

Young people are basically more exposed to violence. Very few elderly over the age of 67 have been the victims of violent crime or threats of violence. This applies to both women and men.

Women more afraid of violence than men

Women--particularly the youngest and oldest--fear violence or threats more than men. Twenty-two per cent of the women aged 16-24 and 31 per cent over the age of 80 say they have been somewhat or very frightened of being the victim of a violent crime or threats while walking alone where they live. For men in the same age group the percentages are five and 12 per cent respectively.

In 1995 the percentage for the youngest women was 14 per cent, so the fear of violence among young women has also risen. There has been no change among young men in the past two years.

New Statistics

Survey of Living Conditions, 1997. Housing, organizations, leisure time and violence. The statistics are published annually in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information, contact: elisabeth.gulloy@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 46 73, or arne.andersen@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 46 71.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 23, 1998