Key findings from the third cycle of the NZ Crime and Victimisation Survey

We have looked at the results of the latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey to see what it means for disabled people.

The New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey collects information about New Zealanders’ experience of crime. This survey is conducted by the Ministry of Justice and runs every year from 2018 asking 8,000 New Zealanders from all walks of life about their experiences.

This analysis is from Cycle 3 (October 2019 – November 2020). Get the full results of the survey:

Key findings about disability and the NZ Crime and Victims Survey

  • Overall, there were no significant differences in victimisation between disabled adults and the New Zealand average across all offences.
  • However, age-adjusted results showed people with disability were significantly more likely to experience crime across all offences, personal offences, household offences, burglary, and interpersonal violence offences.
    • When examining age-breakdowns, disabled adults under 65 were significantly more likely to experience all offences, household and personal offences, whereas disabled people aged 65+, were significantly less likely to experience these offences.
  • Interpersonal violence
    • Among disabled adults, the risk of age-adjusted interpersonal violence was twice as high as the New Zealand average
  • Sexual violence
    • The prevalence of sexual assault for disabled adults was similar to the national average (i.e. assault in the previous 12 months)
    • When looking only at the population aged 15–64, those with disability were at slightly higher risk of sexual assault than those without disability (2.7% compared with 2.2%). This difference was not statistically significant.
    • Disabled adults were significantly more likely than other adults to have been subject to sexual assault in their lifetime (28% compared with 23%).
  • Family violence
    • After accounting for age differences, disabled adults were three times as likely as other adults to experience offences by family members (in the previous 12 months). Age-standardised data shows 6.5% of disabled people experienced offences by family members during the previous 12 months, compared to 2.1% of non-disabled people
  • Intimate partner violence (IPV)
    • Disabled adults were significantly more likely than other adults to have experienced IPV in their lifetime (23% compared with 16%).

Note: The NZCVS does not capture adults living outside residential housing such as aged-care facilities.

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