victimization, fear and perceptions of visible minorities: findings from a national survey

Victimization, fear and perceptions Victimization, fear and perceptions of visible minorities: of visible minorities:

Findings from a national survey Findings from a national survey

Justice, Policing and Security in a Diverse CanadaJustice, Policing and Security in a Diverse Canada

February 25, 2008February 25, 2008

Jodi-Anne BrzozowskiJodi-Anne Brzozowski

Canadian Centre for Justice StatisticsCanadian Centre for Justice Statistics

General Social Survey (GSS)General Social Survey (GSS) on Victimization on Victimization

Canada’s national victimization surveyCanada’s national victimization survey

Conducted for the 4Conducted for the 4thth time in 2004 time in 2004

Sample size 24,000 individuals 15 years Sample size 24,000 individuals 15 years and olderand older

Private households (excludes institutions)Private households (excludes institutions)

10 provinces surveyed by telephone using 10 provinces surveyed by telephone using Random Digit Dialing (RDD)Random Digit Dialing (RDD)

Objectives of the surveyObjectives of the survey

Estimates of the extent to which people Estimates of the extent to which people experience criminal victimizationexperience criminal victimizationRisk factors associated with victimizationRisk factors associated with victimizationCharacteristics of victimization incidentsCharacteristics of victimization incidentsFear of crime and public perceptions of Fear of crime and public perceptions of crime and the criminal justice systemcrime and the criminal justice systemEmerging justice issuesEmerging justice issues

Identifying visible minorities in the GSSIdentifying visible minorities in the GSS

Persons, other than Aboriginal persons, who are not Persons, other than Aboriginal persons, who are not white in race or colour:white in race or colour:

ChineseChinese

South Asian (e.g., Indian from India, Pakistani, Punjabi, Sri Lankan)South Asian (e.g., Indian from India, Pakistani, Punjabi, Sri Lankan)

Black (e.g., African, Haitian, Jamaican, Somalian)Black (e.g., African, Haitian, Jamaican, Somalian)

Arab/West Asian (e.g., Armenian, Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Arab/West Asian (e.g., Armenian, Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Moroccan)Moroccan)

FilipinoFilipino

Southeast Asian (e.g., Cambodian, Indonesian, Laotian, Vietnamese)Southeast Asian (e.g., Cambodian, Indonesian, Laotian, Vietnamese)

Latin AmericanLatin American

JapaneseJapanese

KoreanKorean

OtherOther

Methodological considerations and Methodological considerations and challengeschallenges

Undercoverage for those who do not Undercoverage for those who do not speak English or Frenchspeak English or French

Estimates subject to sampling errorEstimates subject to sampling error

Releasability (achieving minimum sample Releasability (achieving minimum sample sizes)sizes)

Tests of statistical significanceTests of statistical significance

Selected findings Selected findings

Visible minorities and non-visible minorities Visible minorities and non-visible minorities experience similar rates of violent experience similar rates of violent

victimizationvictimization

For all violent crimes, including sexual assault, robbery and For all violent crimes, including sexual assault, robbery and physical assault, the rate of victimization for:physical assault, the rate of victimization for:

Visible minorities was 98 incidents per 1,000 Visible minorities was 98 incidents per 1,000 personspersons

Non-visible minorities was 107 incidents per 1,000 Non-visible minorities was 107 incidents per 1,000 personspersons

Canadian-born visible minorities experience Canadian-born visible minorities experience the highest victimization ratesthe highest victimization rates

Some factors that couldSome factors that could explain this difference explain this difference

Higher proportions of Canadian-born visible Higher proportions of Canadian-born visible minorities are:minorities are:

Young (aged 15-24)Young (aged 15-24)

Unmarried Unmarried

Low income earnersLow income earners

Participate in high number of evening Participate in high number of evening activities activities

Hate-motivated victimizationHate-motivated victimization

Visible minorities more likely to believe Visible minorities more likely to believe they were a victim of a hate crime (7% they were a victim of a hate crime (7% compared to 3% of incidents)compared to 3% of incidents)

Race or ethnic origin was most commonly Race or ethnic origin was most commonly cited motive for hate crimes (66% of all cited motive for hate crimes (66% of all hate-motivated incidents)hate-motivated incidents)

Perceptions of police Perceptions of police performanceperformance

Visible minorities less likely to say police Visible minorities less likely to say police were doing a good job: were doing a good job: Being approachable and easy to talk toBeing approachable and easy to talk to

(55% versus 67%)(55% versus 67%)

Supplying information to the public on ways to Supplying information to the public on ways to reduce crime (42% versus 52%)reduce crime (42% versus 52%)

Treating people fairly (50% versus 61%)Treating people fairly (50% versus 61%)

Chinese least likely and South Asians most Chinese least likely and South Asians most likely to rate police positively likely to rate police positively

Visible minorities more likely to report some forms Visible minorities more likely to report some forms of social disorder in their neighbourhoodsof social disorder in their neighbourhoods

Loitering (30% versus 24%)Loitering (30% versus 24%)

People sleeping on the streets (12% People sleeping on the streets (12% versus 6%)versus 6%)

Harassment and attacks motivated by Harassment and attacks motivated by racial intolerance (18% versus 11%)racial intolerance (18% versus 11%)

Prostitution (16% versus 8%)Prostitution (16% versus 8%)

Perceptions of discriminationPerceptions of discrimination among visible minorities among visible minorities

Visible minorities twice as likely as non-Visible minorities twice as likely as non-visible minorities to believe they had visible minorities to believe they had experienced discrimination (28% vs 13%)experienced discrimination (28% vs 13%)

Majority of visible minorities who felt Majority of visible minorities who felt discriminated against believed it was due discriminated against believed it was due to their race or ethnic origin (81%)to their race or ethnic origin (81%)

Blacks and Latin Americans were the most Blacks and Latin Americans were the most likely to have experienced discrimination likely to have experienced discrimination (36% for both groups)(36% for both groups)

Visible minorities somewhat more fearful Visible minorities somewhat more fearful than non-visible minoritiesthan non-visible minorities

Visible minorities less likely than non-Visible minorities less likely than non-visible minorities to be very satisfied with visible minorities to be very satisfied with personal safety (39% versus 45%)personal safety (39% versus 45%)

Blacks most likely to feel safe waiting for Blacks most likely to feel safe waiting for public transportation after dark and public transportation after dark and Chinese least likely Chinese least likely

Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series

Visible MinoritiesVisible Minoritiesand Victimization, 2004and Victimization, 2004

by Samuel Perreaultby Samuel PerreaultCanadian Centre for Justice StatisticsCanadian Centre for Justice Statistics

19th floor, R.H. Coats Building, Ottawa, K1A 0T619th floor, R.H. Coats Building, Ottawa, K1A 0T6Telephone: 613-951-9023 Toll-free: 1-800-387-2231Telephone: 613-951-9023 Toll-free: 1-800-387-2231

Catalogue no. 85F0033MIE — No. 015Catalogue no. 85F0033MIE — No. 015