The Impact Of Burglary On Victims

THE IMPACT OF BURGLARY ON VICTIMS Burglary is classed as a 'property crime'- a type of crime that also includes the following.. VANDALISM VANDALISM V SHOPLIFTING SHOPLIFTING VEHICLE THEFT VEHICLE THEF However, what sets burglary apart from most other property crimes is the emotional impact it has on victims. THE IMPACT OF BURGLARY Many people believe the impact of burglary is primarily financial, however. According to a survey of 545 burglary victims commissioned by Victim Support and Direct Line: HOWEVER. An incredible 60% of Only 40% of victims said they were financially affected victims said that they were very much' or 'quite a lot emotionally affected Victims reported feeling Angry Worried Shocked Fearful Scared 35% experienced 26% reported 'feeling 'depression or anxiety' more aggressive' While 57% of victims reported 'difficulty sleeping' following a burglary Another report by Victim Support also found that following a burglary. Nearly 38% of victims feared 37% of victims feared becoming a victim of street robbery becoming a victim of violent crime And according to a study by psychiatrist Billie Corder: "The majority of victims say they will never have the same feeling of security and inviolability that they had in the past." HOW CRIME AFFECTS CHILDREN 50% 21% of victims had children under Over half of those with children the age of 16 living at the house at the time of the burglary under 10 reported being fearful for their children afterwards Children's emotional responses to burglary 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% З0% 35% 40% 45% Too young to understand Worried Scared Cautious Shocked Difficulty sleeping Anger Tearful Other Depressed or Anxious Ages 10 or under Ages 11- 16 SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS The right support could reduce the negative impact of burglary on victims. Four out of five respondents stated that they needed help immediately after the burglary, however in many cases less than 50% of respondents who wanted help received it. Type of advice /help requested No of people requesting help vs. % getting help Info from the police about the case 210 people requested this help 51% got the help Advice on improving security 150 69% Help reporting crime to the police 140 56% 122 Someone to talk to 60% Help installing new security measures 91 55% Leaflet with advice for 87 burglary victims 62% %23 Protections from 79 further victimisation 229 £. Financial help with improving security 70 14% Help claiming insurance 51 or compensation 47% Other practical help (eg clearing up) 31 32% Someone for elderly or children to talk to 14 7% While any victim of burglary may require, and benefit from, LOW INCOME HIGH CRIME HOUSEHOLDS: AREAS: May not have More likely to be support, certain sections of the community may be insurance, or the repeat victims of financial means to burglary, and likely to repair the property and improve security. also be a low income more vulnerable to the effects of household. burglary, and more in need of support THOSE LIVING VULNERABLE THE ELDERLY: ALONE: ADULTS: May lack support from family Those with Likely to feel more vulnerable and disabilities or learning members, or be less experience a greater emotional impact difficulties may need additional help to willing to ask for help in order to avoid than those living with others secure the property 'making a fuss' and complete forms. ENGLISH AS TENANTS: SECOND LANGUAGE: Those in rented accommodation are often May find it difficult to seek the right help, and may need assistance dealing reliant on their landlord's response to securing the property, which may be slow and/or insufficient therefore with police and insurance companies. making them more likely to be a repeat victim of the crime. CRIME & PUNISHMENT The impact of burglary on victims may also be aggravated by the investigation of the crimes, and the treatment of its' perpetrators. According to a 2014 Victim Support and ADT survey: +50% More than half of victims stated Just 8% of victims knew that the hearing nothing more from the perpetrator had been arrested and police after reporting a crime the case was heard in court Of the cases that go to court, a relatively high proportion of burglary cases end in a conviction and are on the increase: 60.6% 70. 74% 90, 60, '12 74.9% 77.2% % burglaries ending in conviction However, in the 12 months between September 2011 and September 2012, less than half of those convicted went to prison. 46.8% % convictions ending in a prison sentence Of those sent to prison, the average sentence was just 18.9 months Many burglars are habitual offenders, and with a burglary happening at a rate of more than one per minute, current sentencing appears to do little to deter criminals or secure justice for victims. Take No More, a campaign being run by Victim Support, aims to raise £250,000 to enhance services for victims of burglary, and to campaign to get victims justice in court. More information is available at www.victimsupport.org.uk HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME TIPS & ADVICE In one year alone, around 700,000 burglaries could be prevented if appropriate security devices were installed Get an alarm Install motion Check your windows & doors are locked and use it! detector lights Don't use social media to shout about going Get a dog - the bigger and louder, the better. But small| out or on holiday dogs are good deterrents too Fit indoor lights Install deadlocks and Hide valuables out of with timers anti-snap/bump locks sight of windows Invest in double glazing and stronger doors (look for windows & doors that are accredited as Secured By Design) Remove anything that reduces the visibility of your home from the road (i.e. tall bushes) Secured by Design (SBD Developments using Secured by Design products are 25% less likely to be burgled. Improving security could boost the saleability of your home: # 1 Over a third of first-time buyers The majority of homebuyers would expect to pay more for a house with better security. said a secure environment was the most important feature of a home. SOURCES: www.victimsupportorguk/get-involved/corporate-partnerships/take-no-more enwikipedia.org/wiki/Property_crime www.victimsupportorguk/sites/default/files/Investigating%20practical%20needs.pdf wwwvictimsupport.orguk/about-us/news/one-four-burglary-victims-say-it-affected-their-mental-health webarchive.nationalarchivesgov.uk/20on0220105210/rds.homeofficegovuk/rds/pdfs2/r198.pdf www.gov.uk/govemment/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/220090/criminal-justice-stats-sept-2012.pdf Stormclad Brought to you by www.stormclad.co.uk home improvements