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The Swedish Crime Survey
The Swedish Crime Survey (SCS or Nationella trygghetsundersökningen – NTU – in Swedish) is an annual survey of the attitudes and experiences of the general population of Sweden (aged 16-84 years) regarding victimisation, fear of crime, confidence in the criminal justice system, and crime victims' contacts with the criminal justice system.
The Swedish Crime Survey has been conducted since 2006. The survey includes a sample of 200,000 people. In the SCS 2020, approximately 73,800 people from the sample participated.
Method revised in 2017
The method used for the SCS was revised in 2017. At this point, the collection procedure changed from mainly telephone interviews to internet questionnaires or postal questionnaires. The selection was also expanded and some of the questions were reformulated and new questions were added. Since one main purpose of the SCS is to be able to make comparisons over time, a method has been developed to enable the results for the period 2007–2016 to be compared with 2017–2020. Every effort has been made to ensure that all the descriptions of development over time for the results described in the report are unaffected by the change in method. It is important to emphasise this, as the purpose of the study is to study development over time and compare different groups in the population rather than to estimate exact levels. Read more about this in the 2018 SCS.
New offences have been introduced
The questions about pickpocketing, sales fraud, card/credit fraud and online harassment were introduced in the 2017 SCS, which means that results regarding victims of these types of offences are only available for the period 2016–2019.
Victimisation
Victimisation was investigated for the calendar year preceding the year on which the question was asked. This means that incidents where the respondent was a victim reported in the 2020 SCS reflect offences that took place in 2019. Victimisation in terms of offences against an individual is reported as the percentage of victims, unlike victimisation in terms of property offences against households, which is reported as the percentage of victimised households.
Offences against an individual
Offences against an individual
In the 2020 SCS, 22.6 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were a victim of one or more of the types of offences referred to in the report as offences against an individual: assault, threats, sexual offences, robbery, pickpocketing, sales fraud, card/credit fraud and online harassment¹ in 2019. This is a decrease compared with the preceding year (in 2018 the proportion was 23.1%).The type of offence that had the highest proportion of victims according to the 2020 SCS was threats (9.2%) while robbery was the least common (1.5%).
The proportion of self-reported victimisation has basically remained unchanged for almost all types of offences against an individual compared to 2018. The exceptions are sexual offences. Seen over a longer period of time, self-reported victimisation due to sexual offences has been most evident in recent years, as the proportion of respondents stating this type of victimisation clearly increased up to and including 2017. In the past two surveys, a decrease has been seen and it remains to be seen if this is the beginning of a downward trend. The proportion of people who state that they have been a victim of threats has increased every year since 2015. Furthermore, the proportion of people who state that they have been the victims of robberies has increased annually from 2015, and an increasing trend is also noted for assault, as the proportion has increased for the fourth year in a row.
Most people who state that they have been a victim of offences against an individual state that they were a victim once in 2019, while 26.4 percent of these (corresponding to 6.0% of the population aged 16–84) state that they were victims four times or more. Individuals in this group make up three-quarters (75.1%) of all incidents of offences against an individual.
¹ Victims of harassment were included in the category “offences against an individual” until SCS 2020. Since then, harassment has been presented as a separate category.
Assault
The percentage of individuals who state that they were a victim of assault in 2019 is 3.6 percent of the population (aged 16–84). The level is approximately the same as 2018, when 3.5 percent were a victim of assault. The trend for the period 2006–2015 was one of a weak decline, albeit with some yearly variations, but the last four years show a slightly increasing trend.Men (4.6%) state that they were victims of assault more often than women (2.7%) during 2019.In terms of age, self-reported victimisation regarding assault was most common in the 16–19 age bracket (13.6% among men and 7.3% among women).
Serious assault
A proportion of 0.7 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were a victim of serious assault, which in the SCS refers to assaults leading to injuries requiring medical treatment by a doctor, nurse or dentist. Self-reported victimisation due to serious assault offences has remained at the same level since 2016.Men (0.9%) state that they were victims more often than women (0.5%) in 2019.Self-reported victimisation due to serious assault was most common among young people in the 16–19 age bracket. Among men the proportion was 0.9 percent and among women the proportion was 0.5 percent.
Threats
In 2019, 9.2 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were a victim of threats, which is about the same level compared to 2018 (9.1%). Self-reported victimisation due to threat offences remained at a relatively stable level for most of the measurement period (2006–2014), but an increasing trend has been noted since 2015. Men (9.5%) state that they were victims of threats more often than women (8.9%) in 2019. Self-reported victimisation due to threats was most common among young people in the 16–19 age bracket (among men 16.7% and among women 13.6%).Sexual offences
In 2019, 5.6 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were a victim of a sexual offence. The self-reported victimisation of sexual offences has increased almost every year since 2012, but a decrease has been noted in the past two years. Women (9.4%) state that they were victims of a sexual offence significantly more often than men (1.4%) in 2019. There are large differences between age groups. The proportion for both men and women is greatest in the age group 20–24, where 31.6 percent of women state they were a victim of a sexual offence, and 4.3 percent of men.Serious sexual offences involving the use of force
Of the population (aged 16–84), 1.0 percent state that they were a victim of a sexual offence involving the use of force in 2019, which is at approximately the same level as 2018 (1.1%). Women (1.7%) state that they were victims significantly more often than men (0.3%) in 2019. There are large differences between age groups. The proportion for both men and women is largest among young people in the 16–24 age bracket, where among women 5.7 percent state they were a victim of sexual offence involving the use of force, and among men the proportion was 0.7 percent.Serious sexual offences involving the exploitation of a defenceless condition
Of the population (aged 16–84), 0.6 percent state that they were a victim of a sexual offence involving the exploitation of a defenceless condition in 2019, which is at approximately the same level as 2018 (0.7%). Women (1.0%) state that they were victims in 2019 significantly more often than men (0.2%). There are large differences between age groups. The proportion for both men and women is largest among young people in the 16–24 age bracket, where among women 4.5 percent state they were a victim of a sexual offence involving the exploitation of a defenceless condition, and among men the proportion was 0.4 percent.Robbery
In 2019, 1.5 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state they were a victim of robbery or a victim of attempted robbery, which means that the proportion is virtually unchanged compared to 2018 when the proportion was 1.4 percent. The proportion was at a relatively stable level until 2015, but an increase was noted in 2016 and the proportion has since remained at the higher level, with a slightly increasing trend. Men (2.3%) state that they were victims of robbery or attempted robbery during 2019 more often than women (0.7%). In terms of age, self-reported victimisation in men due to robbery was most common in the 16–19 age bracket (5.9%) and in women, self-reported victimisation due to robbery was most common in the 20–24 age bracket (1.4%).
Harassment
In connection with the follow-up interviews, it emerged that some people had misunderstood the screening question about harassment. They may have understood it as including telephone sales, for example. The wording of the question and how the results are reported were reviewed before the 2020 SCS and therefore only the results for 2019 are presented.
Of the population (aged 16–84), 6.5 percent state that they were victims of harassment in 2019. Women (7.6%) state that they were victims of harassment in 2019 more often than men (5.2%). Among both men and women, self-reported victimisation due to harassment was most common in the youngest age bracket (aged 16–19), where 8.1 percent of the men and 15.2 percent of the women state that they had been a victim.Pickpocketing
In 2019, 2.7 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they were victims of pickpocketing, which means that the proportion is virtually unchanged compared to 2018, when the proportion was 2.8 percent. Women (2.7%) state that they were victims of pickpocketing about as often as men (2.6%) in 2019. Among both men and women, self-reported victimisation due to pickpocketing was most common in the 20–24 age bracket, where 5.3 percent of the men and 5.0 percent of the women state that they had been a victim of pickpocketing.Sales fraud
Of the population (aged 16–84), 5.1 percent state that they were victims of sales fraud in 2019. The proportion is the same as in 2018, although this is an increase since 2016 when the percentage of self-reported victimisation was 4.5 percent. Men (5.7%) state that they were victims of sales fraud in 2019 more often than women (4.5%). The greatest percentage of self-reported victimisation due to sales fraud was found in the 35–44 age bracket among men (7.6%) and in the 25–34 age bracket among women (6.3%).Card-/credit fraud
Self-reported victimisation due to card/credit fraud amounted to 5.3 percent of the population (aged 16–84) in 2019. This is approximately the same level as in 2018, when the percentage was 5.4 percent. Men (5.9%) state that they were victims of card/credit fraud more often than women (4.8%) in 2019. The greatest percentage of self-reported victimisation due to card/credit fraud was found in the 45–54 age bracket among men (7.8%) and in the 35–44 age bracket among women (6.8%).Online harassment
Self-reported victimisation due to online harassment amounted to 2.6 percent of the population (aged 16–84) in 2019. This is at approximately the same level as in 2018, when the proportion was 2.5 percent. Men (2.8%) state that they were victims of online harassment more often than women (2.4%) in 2019.The greatest percentage of victims was in the 16–19 age bracket, although among the young people in that age group the percentage of victims was larger among women (8.1%) than among men (5.5%).Property offences against households
Property offences against households
The 2020 SCS shows that 14.6 percent of households were victims of car theft, theft out of or from a vehicle, bicycle theft, or burglary (all referred to as property offences against households) in 2019.The most common property offence reported for 2019 is bicycle theft (11.4%), while vehicle theft is the least common (1.0%).The reported victimisation has increased in terms of bicycle thefts in 2019 and has been virtually unchanged in terms of theft out or from vehicles, burglary and car theft compared to 2018. The property offences that have seen the most significant development since 2006 are car-related crimes, which have decreased significantly.A majority of those who were victims of property offences against households state that they were victims once in 2019, while a smaller percentage of the victimised households (6.7%) state that they were victims four times or more. This group suffered 30.5 percent of all property offences.
Burglary
According to the SCS 2020, 1.7 percent of households were victims of burglary during 2019, which is about the same level as in 2016–2018. For most of the measurement period the proportion of reported victimised households has varied around a relatively stable level, but in 2016 the level increased somewhat, and the proportion has remained at the slightly higher level since then.
Car theft
In 2019, 1.0 percent of households report that they were victims of car theft, which means that the proportion is unchanged compared to 2018. The proportion declined significantly during the period 2006–2014, but the proportion increased slightly in 2015. The percentage has since remained relatively stable at that level, which despite the increase, is nevertheless considerably lower than when measurements started.
Theft out of or from a vehicle
The percentage of households stating that they were victims of theft out of or from a vehicle was 4.6 percent in 2019. This is at about the same level as 2018, when the proportion was 4.7 percent. During the period 2006–2010, the percentage of households that were victims of theft out of or from a vehicle decreased dramatically and victimisation has remained at a relatively stable level since then.
Bicycle theft
The proportion of households stating that they were victims of bicycle theft was 11.4 percent in 2019. This is at about the same level compared with 2018, when the proportion was 11.1 percent. The level of the proportion of victimised households has remained relatively stable throughout the measurement period, though the latest measurement is the highest since 2006.
Fear of crime
Measuring fear of crime is complicated, but the SCS can contribute by providing a number of key indicators on the subject. The reference periods reflected in the section on fear of crime vary depending on the type of question. Questions about concern regarding various types of offences refer to the most recent twelve months (prior to the time of interview). The more comprehensive questions refer to the perception respondents had at the time the question was asked (2020). Regarding concerns about being a victim of crime, the questions about burglary and theft or vandalism of vehicles are the only ones that have been included in their present form every year since the survey was initiated, while the questions on concern about the remaining offences were added in conjunction with the revision of the survey in 2017.
Feeling unsafe outdoors late at night
The results in the 2020 SCS show that a total of 30 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they feel very unsafe or quite unsafe when outdoors alone at night or that they avoid going out alone at night due to feeling unsafe. Of these, 6 percent state that they do not go out due to feeling unsafe. The level decreased during the first period of the survey and then remained at a stable level. However, a significant increase occurred in 2016 and the proportion has since then remained at that higher level.It is significantly more common for women (38%) to state that they feel unsafe than for men (22%).
The percentage of people who state that they feel unsafe is highest in the 20–24 and 75–84 age brackets. The proportion is particularly high among the youngest and the oldest women while among men the proportion is more similar across different age groups. The greatest percentage was found in the 75–84 age bracket among men (24%) and in the 20–24 age bracket among women (45%).
Feeling unsafe in own neighbourhood late at night
Perception of crime development
A total of 81 percent of the population (aged 16–84) believes that the number of crimes in Sweden has increased over the past three years, which is approximately at the same level as 2019 when this proportion was 80 percent. Over time, the proportion has remained stable, but it is at slightly lower levels in recent years compared to the first years of measurement.
A greater proportion of women (83%) than men (80%) state that they believe that the number of crimes in Sweden has increased over the past three years. The proportion is greatest in the youngest age bracket (aged 16–19) among men (86%) and in the older age brackets, particularly the oldest (aged 75–84) among women (91%).
Concern about crime in society
Concern about crime in society
Almost half (47%) of the population (aged 16–84) have great concern about crime in society, which is a significant increase compared to 2019 (43%) and the highest level measured since 2007. Leading up to 2011, the percentage who experienced great concern decreased, followed by an increase up to 2017. The proportion then remained stable for a few years until this recent increase in 2020.The percentage of people who have great concern about crime is the same for both women and men (47%).Among men, the percentage is greatest among people aged 55–64 (55%) and in the 65–74 age bracket among women (58%).Concern about close friends and family
Almost two-fifths (38%) of the population (aged 16–84) state that they, very often or quite often feel concerned that someone close to them will be subjected to crime; this is an increase compared to the preceding year 2019 (35%) and the highest level measured. The proportion decreased until 2014, followed by an increase up to 2016, and then remained at the same level until this latest increase in 2020.It is more common for women (41%) to be concerned that friends or family will be subjected to crime than for men (35%). Concern that friends or family will be subjected to crime, is most common in the 45–54 age bracket among both men and women, where the proportion among men was 43 percent and among women the proportion was 50 percent.Concern about being a victim of crime
Concern about assault
The percentage of people who stated that they are concerned very often or quite often about being a victim of assault is 12 percent, which is an increase compared to 2019 (10%). The percentage of people who are concerned about being a victim of assault is approximately the same for women (12%) and men (11%). The highest percentage is found among men aged 20–24 and 25–34 (15%), and among women aged 20–24 (17%).
Concern about rape/sexual assault
The percentage of people who, in 2020, are often concerned about being a victim of rape or another type of sexual assault is 12 percent of the population (aged 16–84), which is at the same level as in 2019 and 2018 and approximately the same level as in 2017 (11%). It is significantly more common for women (21%) to be concerned about being a victim of rape or another type of sexual assault than men (2%). In terms of age groups, the proportion is highest among women in the 20–24 age group, where 46 percent report this concern. Among men the proportion is highest in the 25–34 age bracket (4%).
Concern about robbery
Among the respondents in the population (aged 16–84), 19 percent state that they are concerned about being a victim of robbery in 2020, which is an increase compared to 2019 (17%). It is more common for women (22%) to be concerned about robbery than men (16%). The level of concern about being a victim of robbery is highest among men in the youngest age brackets 16–19, 20–24 and 25–34 (19%) and among women aged 20–24 and 25–34 (23%).
Concern about fraud on the Internet
In 2020, 32 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they are concerned about being a victim of fraud on the internet. The proportion of people who are concerned about being a victim of fraud on the internet is larger for women (34%) than men (31%). The largest proportion among men is found in the 55–64 age bracket (38%) and among women the proportion is largest in the 65–74 age bracket (44%).Concern about burglary
In 2020, 27 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they are concerned about burglary, which is at the same level as in 2019. The proportion remained relatively stable during the first years, followed by an increase in 2012 that lasted until 2017. Since then the proportion has remained stable. It is more common for women (28%) to state that they are concerned about burglary than men (25%). The percentage concerned about burglary is greatest in the 55–64 age bracket among men (31%) and in the 45–54 and 55–64 age brackets among women (32%).
Concern about theft/vandalism of vehicle
Among the respondents who stated that someone in the household owns a car, 27 percent are concerned that the household's car will be stolen or vandalised, which is an increase compared to 2019 (25%). Leading up to 2013, the percentage concerned about the household's car being stolen or vandalised decreased, followed by a gradual increase in 2015–2017. It remains to be seen if the increase noted in recent years is the beginning of a trend. The percentage concerned about theft or vandalism of vehicle is almost equally high for men (27%) and women (26%). In different age groups, concern for vehicle-related offences is greatest among men in the 25–34, 35–44 and 55–64 age bracket (31%) and in the 55–64 age bracket among women (31%).Consequences of feeling unsafe
- In 2020, 26 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they often have chosen another route or another mode of transport as a result of concern about being a victim of crime, while 14 percent have refrained from an activity often as a result of this concern. Furthermore, 20 percent state that they have often refrained from an activity on the internet as a result of concern about being a victim of threats or harassment, and of these respondents, 3 percent never engage in activities on the internet due to this concern. Lastly, 8 percent state that their quality of life is affected as a result of being concerned about being a victim of crime.
A significantly larger proportion of women than men state that they often have chosen another route or another mode of transport, and refrained from any activity due to concern about being a victim of crime. For the other questions, the differences are small.
Confidence in the criminal justice system
Confidence in the criminal justice system
The criminal justice system comprises several different public agencies and the SCS asks questions about the criminal justice system as a whole, as well as more specific questions regarding four of its agencies – the police, the public prosecutors, the courts, and the prison and probation service. The section on confidence in the criminal justice system reflects the respondents’ perception at the time the questionnaire was answered.
The results shown on confidence in the criminal justice system are mainly for the percentage stating that they have high (very high or quite high) confidence. The other response alternatives are low (very, or quite low) confidence or no opinion. This means that respondents that do not have high confidence do not by definition need to have low confidence. They could have stated that they have no opinion. However, the fact that some respondents have no particular view on a given issue, or are unwilling to commit themselves, is in itself an important factor to consider when assessing levels of public confidence. For this reason, those who state that they have no opinion in relation to the questions on confidence in the justice system are included in the result.
Confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole
A little less than half (49%) of the population (aged 16–84) state that they have a high (very high or quite high) degree of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole, which is approximately at the same level as in 2019, when the proportion was 48 percent. The proportion for high degree of confidence was relatively stable from 2011 until 2017, when there was a clear decline. The proportion then increased again, which means that it has returned to the previous level.
It is more common for women (52%) to state that they have a high degree of confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole than for men (45%)In terms of age, the proportion is greatest among men aged 35–44 (48%) and among women in the 35-44 and 45-54 age brackets (54%).Confidence in the police
The proportion of the population (aged 16–84) who state that they have a high degree of confidence in the way the police perform their work is 54 percent, which is the highest level measured in the SCS and a small increase compared to 2019, when the proportion was 52 percent. The level was stable (with annual variations) until 2016, but 2017 saw a decrease in the proportion stating that they have a high degree of confidence. In 2018, however, there was an increase and that increase has continued in 2020. An increase of a total of 12 percentage points occurred between 2017 and 2020.It is more common for women (59%) to have a high degree of confidence in the police than for men (49%).In terms of age, the proportion is greatest among men in the 16–19 and 75-84 age brackets (52%) and among women in the age group 45–54 (62%).Confidence in the public prosecutors
40 percent of the population (aged 16–84) state that they have a high degree of confidence in the way the public prosecutors perform their work, which is as about the same level as in 2019, when the proportion was 39 percent. The proportion increased until 2009 and then remained at a stable level, only to decrease in 2017. However, the result for 2020 shows that the proportion has increased again, which means that it is back at about the same level as before.It is more common for women (42%) to have a high degree of confidence in the public prosecutors than for men (37%).In terms of age, the proportion with a high degree of confidence in the public prosecutors is greatest in the age group 16–19 among men (41%) and in the age groups 25–34, 35–44 and 45–54 among women (45%).Confidence in the courts
A little less than two-fifths (39%) of the population (aged 16–84) state that they have a high degree of confidence in the way the courts perform their work, which is at approximately the same level as in 2019, when the proportion was 38 percent. The proportion was relatively stable for most of the measurement period up to and including 2016. The proportion then declined in 2017, but has increased slightly in 2020.It is somewhat more common for women (40%) to have a high degree of confidence in the courts than for men (37%).In terms of age, the proportion is greatest in the age group 16–19 among men (43%) and in the age group 45–54 among women (44%).
Confidence in the prison and probation service
More than a third (34%) of the population (aged 16–84) have a high degree of confidence in the way in which the prison and probation service operates, which is at approximately at the same level as in 2019, when the proportion was 33 percent. The proportion with a high degree of confidence in the prison and probation service increased between 2007 and 2010 and has since remained relatively stable.It is more common for women (36%) to have a high degree of confidence in the prison and probation service than for men (32%).Among men, the proportion is greatest in the 16–19 age bracket (39%) and among women, the proportion is greatest in the 20–24 age bracket (45%).Confidence that the criminal justice system as a whole treats suspects fairly
The results for 2020 show that 43 percent of the population (aged 16–84) have a high degree of confidence that the criminal justice system as a whole treats those suspected of crimes fairly, which is at about the same level as 2019 when the proportion was 42 percent. The proportion has remained at a relatively stable level for most of the measurement period, except for 2017 when the proportion decreased. A slight increasing trend has since been noted.It is just as common for men and women to have a high degree of confidence that the criminal justice system as a whole treats those suspected of crimes fairly (43% in each group).In terms of age, the proportion among men is greatest in the 35–44 age bracket (48%) and in the age bracket 45–54 for women (49%).Confidence that the police treats suspects fairly
More than half (51%) of the population (aged 16–84) have a high degree of confidence that the police treats those suspected of crimes fairly, which is a small increase compared to 2019 when the proportion was 49 percent. The proportion has generally been at a stable level, but there has been an increase since 2017.It is basically just as common for men (51%) and women (50%) to have a high degree of confidence that the police treat those suspected of crimes fairly.In terms of age, the proportion is greatest in the 45–54 age brackets among both men and women (men, 55% and women, 57%).Confidence that the criminal justice system as a whole treats crime victims in a good way
In the 2020 SCS, 29 percent of the population (aged 16–84) have a high degree of confidence that the criminal justice system as a whole treats crime victims well, which is almost at the same level as 2019 when the proportion was 28 percent. The proportion with a high degree of confidence increased slightly at the beginning of the measurement period and has subsequently remained at a relatively stable level.It is more common for women (30%) to have a high degree of confidence that the criminal justice system as a whole treats crime victims well than for men (27%).In terms of age, the proportion is greatest in the 16–19 age bracket among both men and women (men, 41% and women, 36%).
Confidence that the police treats crime victims in a good way
The results for 2019 show that 45 percent of the population (aged 16–84) have a high degree of confidence that the police treat crime victims well, which is about the same level as in 2019 when the proportion was 44 percent. The proportion with a high degree of confidence has remained stable throughout the measurement period, and it remains to be seen whether the increase is the beginning of a trend or whether there is a temporary deviation from an otherwise stable level.It is more common for women (47%) to have a high degree of confidence that the police treat crime victims well than for men (43%)- In terms of age, the proportion is greatest in the 16–19 age bracket among men (52%) and in the 45–54 age bracket among women, 51%).
Experiences of the police
Crime victims’ contacts with the justice system
When a person has been subjected to an offence that is reported to the police, the person gains experience of one or more of the agencies within the criminal justice system. The experience is customarily limited to the person’s contact with the police in connection with the police report, but may also comprise contact with public prosecutors, counsel for injured parties and, in the event the offence comes to trial, courts. The section on crime victims’ contact with the criminal justice system reports experiences in the most recent three years (at the date the question was answered).
Experience of the police in connection with reporting a crime to the police
The 2020 SCS shows that 24 percent of the population (aged 16–84) have been subjected to a crime that was reported to the police in the last three years.Of these, 44 percent stated that they had a positive experience of the police overall, which in principle is at about the same level as 2018 (45 percent). The proportion has remained at a stable level for most of the measurement period, but a slight decrease can be seen for the most recent years. When comparing crimes with and without elements of threats or violence, the proportion with positive experiences is at a slightly higher level among those who experienced a crime with threats or violence.With regard to various parts of the police's work, the victims are most satisfied with the way the police treated them (54%) and with police accessibility (49%), but less satisfied with the information they received regarding how the police were working with their case (34%) and with police effectiveness in investigating the crime (19%). When comparing crimes with and without elements of threats or violence, the proportion of satisfaction is greater when the incident has not entailed threats or violence, seen in terms of police accessibility and the information respondents received on how the police were working with their case. Looking at the question of the police's effectiveness, the proportion is greater in cases where the offence has contained threats or violence, while for responses to the question of the way the police treated respondents, the proportion is almost equal.Women state that they have a positive experience of the police more often than men, in terms of both overall experience of the police and the various parts of the police's work.In terms of age, the proportion with positive experiences is greatest among the oldest age groups, for both men and women.Experience with public prosecutors or courts
Approximately 2.0 percent of the population state that they have been in contact with public prosecutors as a result of having been a victim of crime at some time in the past three years, even if the investigation did not subsequently lead to a trial. Of these people, 43 percent state that their contact with public prosecutors was positive, which is at a slightly higher level than in 2019 (42%).Of the population aged 16–84, 1.1 percent state that they have participated in a trial as an injured party in the most recent three years. Of these, 58 percent state that they are satisfied with the way they were treated in court, which is a clear increase from 2019, when the proportion was 52 percent. Furthermore, 69 percent state that they thought it was easy to understand the trial, which is an increase from 2019 (63%). Lastly, 57 percent feel that they were given enough information before the trial, which is at the same level as 2019. Of those who participated in a trial as an injured party, 64 percent had what is termed a counsel for an injured party. Of these, 68 percent describe their experience of the counsel for an injured party as positive, which is an increase compared to 2019 (64%).Women have positive experiences to a greater extent than men when it comes to experience of prosecutors, courts and counsel for an injured party, while basically no differences between women and men are seen in terms of understanding the trial and information before the trial.Footnotes
¹).The results regarding victimisation 2006–2015 are recalculated since the SCS was then carried out with another method. For the corresponding results before the recalculation, see previous SCS publications.
²). In connection with the follow-up interviews, it has emerged that some people have misunderstood the screening question of harassment. Instead, it may have involved telephone sales or the like. The results regarding the exposure to harassment should therefore be interpreted with great caution. The wording of the question and how the results are reported will be reviewed before the 2020 SCS.
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