Safety

Perceptions of safety Property-related victimisations Family violence victimisations

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Both our perception and experience of safety strongly influence wellbeing. People who hold fears for their personal safety are likely to have a lower quality of life and a decreased sense of wellbeing, and may find it difficult to participate fully in their community [1, 2]. Where offending in a community is perceived to increase, or actually does increase, the community may become less appealing for new residents and for people who go there for recreation or other activities [3-5]. Communities with low levels of offending attract greater investment from the private sector, which in turn creates more employment opportunities and contributes to a higher quality of life, as the community is more stable and healthier [6-8].

Key trends within safety

In the 2018 to 2020 Canterbury Wellbeing Surveys, respondents from greater Christchurch indicated favourable levels of perceived safety across different locations and times of day (although the Christchurch City centre after dark was perceived as relatively less safe). However, in the 2022 survey, the levels of perceived safety reported declined statistically significantly across the four different location/time-of-day indicators. The crime indicators suggest that there is a downward trend in the number of family violence victimisations for greater Christchurch. However, the number of property-related offences has shown an upward trend, excluding decreases in the number of offences during COVID-19 lockdown periods.

Key equity issues within safety

The perceptions of safety indicators suggest that having a low income or long-term health condition or disability, or being female, older, or non-European are all associated with lower perceived safety. No breakdown data are available for the remainder of the indicators (property-related offences and family violence victimisations).

What this means for wellbeing

The relationship between safety indicators and wellbeing is complex. However, lower levels of personal exposure to harm or loss are generally relatable to improved levels of wellbeing. The data show differences in perceptions of safety for some groups (such as for females after dark in their neighbourhood and/or town/city centre, and for people with a long-term health condition or disability). Property-related victimisations data suggest some recent increase in reported harm.

References
  1. Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform (2009) Fear of Crime in Ireland and its Impact on Quality of Life: A Report Commissioned by the National Crime Council Dublin: The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
  2. Schweitzer J, Kim J,Mackin J (1999) The impact of the built environment on crime and fear of crime in urban neighbourhoods. Journal of Urban Technology 6: 59–73.
  3. Parkes A, Kearns A,Atkinson R (2002) What makes people dissatisfied with their neighbourhoods? Urban Studies 39: 2413–2438.
  4. Permentier M, Bolt G,van Ham M (2011) Determinants of neighbourhood satisfaction and perception of neighbourhood reputation. Urban Studies 48: 977–996.
  5. Taylor R (1995) The impact of crime on communities. The American Academy of Political and Social Science 593: 28–45.
  6. McGahey R (1986) Economic conditions, neighborhood organization, and urban crime. Communities and Crime 8: 231–270.
  7. Porter M (1996) The competitive advantage of the inner city. In: Gate, RL,Stout, F, editors. The city reader. 5 ed. Oxford: Routledge.
  8. Turner R (1999) Entrepreneurial neighborhood initiatives: Political capital in community development. Economic Development Quarterly 13: 15–22.
  9. Ferraro KF (1995) Fear of Crime: Interpreting Victimization Risk. Albany: State University of New York: University of New York Press.
  10. Jewkes Y (2011) Key approaches to criminology. Los Angeles ; London: SAGE.
  11. Pink B (2011) Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC) Australia 2011 (Third edition). Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  12. Lauritsen JL,Rezey ML (2018) Victimization Trends and Correlates: Macro- and Microinfluences and New Directions for Research. Annual Review of Criminology 1: 103-121.
  13. OECD Family Database (2013) SF3.4: Family violence. In: OECD - Social Policy Division - Directorate of Employment, LaSA, editor.
  14. Bachman R,Saltzman L (1995) Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Violence against women: Estimates from the redesigned survey (NCJ-154348). Washington, DC: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
  15. Bowes L, Arseneault L, Maughan B, Taylor A, Caspi A, et al. (2009) School, neighborhood, and family factors are associated with children's bullying involvement: A nationally representative longitudinal study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 48: 545-553.
  16. Hipp JR, Bauer DJ, Curran PJ,Bollen KA (2004) Crimes of Opportunity or Crimes of Emotion? Testing Two Explanations of Seasonal Change in Crime. Social Forces 82: 1333-1372.
Find out more
  • NZ Police data
    This interactive website produced by New Zealand Police presents Recorded Crime Victims Statistics (RCVS) and Recorded Crime Offenders Statistics (RCOS) and Demand and Activity data.
  • Family violence data
    The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse collates a wide range of information about family violence.
  • Integrated Safety Response
    This New Zealand Police website provides information about the intersectoral response to family violence operating in Christchurch.