The dynamics of crime: Comparing the results from the 1998, 2003 and 2007 National Crime and Victimisation Surveys

This paper discusses the dynamics surrounding the six most common crimes identified in the 2007 study

In 2007 the Institute for Security Studies conducted a national crime and victimisation survey. The survey followed on from two earlier victim surveys conducted by the ISS and Statistics South Africa in 1998 and 2003 respectively. Together, these three surveys provide an unprecedented snapshot of both changing victimisation levels and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system over the last decade. This paper discusses the dynamics surrounding the six most common crimes identified in the 2007 study. It compares the data from the 1998, 2003 and 2007 surveys to provide a picture of provincial victimisation trends, the sites and characteristics of the crimes, weapon use, victims’ familiarity with the perpetrators and arrest and conviction trends.

About the author

Robyn Pharoah is an independent researcher working in Cape Town, in South Africa. She worked previously for the ISS Crime and Justice Programme in Pretoria and oversaw the running of the 2007 national victimisation survey.