Chapter 8

CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR AFTER VICTIMISATION


Published in Monograph No 58
Reducing Crime in Durban
A Victim Survey and Safer City Strategy


Key findings

  • Most respondents said they changed their behaviour after victimisation. Victims of assault were the exception — only 44% changed their behaviour. To the extent that these crimes were committed in a home environment, it may be difficult for victims to change their behaviour in order to avoid victimisation.
  • Typically, African victims were less likely to change their behaviour than white or Asian victims. This applied across all types of crime and could relate to the cost of improving security or changing lifestyle patterns. For example, those who rely on public transport cannot always change their routes or purchase a car to avoid victimisation.
  • Although many victims did change their behaviour, less than a half on average said they felt safer as a result. This could indicate that the measures taken were not sufficient to enhance safety. However, it is also likely that perceptions of safety and the fear of crime are determined by factors other than the perceived risk of victimisation.

Respondents were asked whether they changed their behaviour as a result of the crime that they had experienced. They were also asked what form these changes took and whether they felt safer as a result.

Burglary

Most victims of burglary (62%) changed their behaviour after the crime had occurred. Asians and whites, however, were much more likely to change their behaviour than Africans (figure 16). Whites were also more likely to use costly measures with 35% employing security guards and 16% installing home alarms. African victims also employed security guards (27%) and supplemented this with ensuring that someone was always at home (10%). Significantly, 16% of African victims chose to relocate to avoid further victimisation.

Figure 16: Behaviour changes after burglary and whether these improved feelings of safety, by race


Just over half of the victims who had changed their behaviour after victimisation reported feeling safer as a result. Given the more sophisticated nature of the measures taken, it is not surprising that white victims were more likely to feel safe than African and Asian victims (figure 16).

Assault

Most victims of assault did not change their behaviour after the incident. Although the number of Asian victims was small, it is noteworthy that comparatively few African victims changed their behaviour (figure 17). The most common forms of behaviour change were avoiding those places where assault is likely to occur (21%) and avoiding alcohol and gambling (13%). These findings provide some evidence of the links between assault and alcohol consumption — supported by earlier results that showed a large proportion of assaults occurring at places of entertainment.

Figure 17 Behaviour changes after assault and whether these improved feelings of safey, by race


Of those who took precautions against assault, only 48% said they felt safer.

Vehicle theft and hijacking

The greatest impact of victimisation leading to behaviour change was recorded for these crimes: 70% of victims of car theft and 75% of hijacking said they changed their behaviour (figures 18 and 19). These high rates of change in relation to vehicle crimes could relate to the value of a vehicle for a household, as well as the wide range of possibilities for protecting a vehicle from theft. In the case of hijacking, the violent nature of the crime combined with the factors above may encourage people to change their behaviour.

Figure 18: Bahaviour changes after car theft and whether these improved feelings of safety, by race




Figure 19: Behaviour changes after hijacking and whether these improved feelings of safety, by race


The types of behaviour change adopted by car theft victims compared with hijacking victims were quite different. In the case of car theft, most people (59%) fitted devices or parked their cars in more secure locations (17%). Several victims — probably those who could not afford the above options — chose to use public transport instead or join a lift club (9%). Hijacking victims were most likely to be more alert or cautious, particularly at intersections (31%). A further 14% of victims said they avoided places they regarded as dangerous and 13% said they had resorted to carrying a gun. Comparing the interventions, and given that hijacking involves violence, it is not surprising that more car theft victims felt safer as a result of their actions than hijacking victims.