§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the research he has evaluated to show that, among the elderly, fear of crime by the elderly is greater than the reality of crime. [145]
§ Mr. MacleanThe latest—1996—British crime survey, which is conducted by the Home Office, shows that the risks of crime for the elderly are considerably lower than for younger age groups.
The elderly tend to rate their chances of victimisation in line with younger age groups, and they are as worried about falling victim to specific crimes. They also exhibit greater anxiety about being out alone after dark.
Fear of crime is about not just the chances of victimisation but the perceived consequences. Greater anxiety on the part of the elderly about their safety on the streets may be because they see the physical, emotional and financial consequences of victimisation as greater than do the young.
Mr. SolelyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated to show the relative risk to(a) young people and (b) senior citizens from (i) violent street crime and (ii) crimes committed by people gaining entry to their homes.[146]
§ Mr. MacleanAccording to the latest—1996—British crime survey, which is conducted by the Home Office, a young person aged 16 to 29 is 18 times more likely to be a victim of violence in a street location than a person aged 60 or over.
The relative risk to young. Households—head aged 16 to 29—of burglary, which covers offences in which there is actual or attempted trespass with the intention of theft, assault or criminal damage, is 2.6 times that for households whose head is aged 60 or over.