National crime victimisation rates show 15 year decline in NT violence, despite recent spikes in offending

Territorians are twice as likely to be the victim of an assault, and have their homes broken into at a rate four times higher than the rest of Australia. SEE THE STATS.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics survey, which has been running for 15 years, found that 4 per cent of all Australians were the victim of a violent crime while 8.5 per cent of households were targeted for a property crime

Territorians are twice as likely to be the victims of violence, while their homes are almost four times more likely to be broken into, according to the latest national crime statistics.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its latest survey data for victimisation rates across the nation on Wednesday.

The survey, which has been running for 15 years, found that 4 per cent of all Australians were the victim of a violent crime while 8.5 per cent of households were targeted for a property crime.

The survey interviewed 25,934 Australians over the past two financial years, detailing their personal experiences as victims of crime in the past 12 months.

The data revealed that across the board Territorians had the highest rates of violence and property damage compared to the rest of Australia.

The survey estimates that 7.4 per cent of Territorians have been the victim of a violent assault, or threats of an assault, or robbery — almost double the Australian average of 4 per cent.

According to the survey, Territorians were more than twice as likely to be violently assaulted, and almost four times as likely to have their homes broken into or cars stolen.

There were an estimated 5900 Territorians who were physically assaulted, but only 56 per cent reported it to police.

The ABS found that half of all people who experienced physical violence were the victim of multiple assaults, while those who chose not to report their assaults either thought it was too trivial or that there was nothing that police could do.

The latest NT Police annual report acknowledged that in a quarter of all reported acts intended to cause injury did not result in an arrest, with a clear-up rate of just 77 per cent for these violent incidents.

The ABS said of the estimated 4200 NT households broken into, 30 per cent chose not to call the cops.

NT Police have admittedonly 38 per cent of all reported break-ins and attempted break-ins resulted in an arrest in 2022-23.

While there has been a recent escalation of violence from 2020, the ABS data showed that rates of violence and property crime were nowhere near 2008 levels.

In the past 15 years the rates of physical assault and threats of violence have almost halved, from 12 to 7.4 per cent.

Car thefts and malicious property rates have all dropped below 2008 levels.

While the crime rates were trending down, there has been a recent spike in victimisation rates for attempted and actual break-ins and robbery.

Originally published as National crime victimisation rates show 15 year decline in NT violence, despite recent spikes in offending