عربي
The crime rate decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic by 23% compared to 2016
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) implemented the seventh round of the Victimization Survey during the fourth quarter of 2020, within the Labour Force Survey.
The sample size was 8,040 households: (5,490 in the West Bank and 2,550 in the Gaza Strip).
The main objective of the survey is to monitor key indicators of criminal offenses.
Criminal Offenses against Households
The survey results revealed that offenses against households were at 5.4% of the Palestinian households in Palestine: 4.1% in the West Bank and 7.6% in the Gaza Strip. This percentage decreased by 23% in comparison with 2016.
The offenses cited in the survey include theft (excluding motor vehicles) at 2.8%, the theft of a motor vehicle or parts of it at 2.4%, damage to property at 0.4% and assault at 0.6% of the households; while 0.7% of households were subjected to harassment or assault by Israeli soldiers or settlers.
2.0% of the households that one of its members was exposed to cyber threats at least once (1.4% in the West Bank and 3.0% in the Gaza Strip).
Criminal Offenses against Individuals
1.1% of individuals in Palestine were exposed to a criminal offense: 0.9% in the West Bank and 1.4% in the Gaza Strip.
Criminal offenses against individuals were: 57.3% for theft; 3.6% for attempt of robbery/theft; 19.6% for assaults/threat; 4.8% for damages to property; and 11.8% of individuals who were harassed or assaulted by Israeli soldiers or settlers (23.4% in the West Bank and 0.7% in the Gaza Strip).
Most criminal offenses took place in the home of the household memebers or nearby
34.8% of criminal offenses in Palestine took place inside the house (27.8% in the West Bank and 41.6% in the Gaza Strip). Whereas 34.1% were nearby the house (33.6% in the West Bank and 34.6% in Gaza Strip). 11.8% outside the locality (19.9% in the West Bank and 4.0% in the Gaza Strip).
Crime Reporting
52.2% of victims of criminal offenses in Palestine reported the crimes they were exposed to (46.4% in the West Bank and 56.2% in the Gaza Strip) compared to 43.0% in 2016. Moreover, 10.3% of reported criminal offenses in Palestine were referred to court. (20.2% in the West Bank and 4.5% in the Gaza Strip). However and as for the reasons for -not reporting criminal offenses by victims, 38.2% of victims of such acts explained it was nothing serious. While 23.3% of them preferred not to involve the police in the incident, and 20.0% of victims preferred to solve the issue or going to the tribal judiciary personally.
Criminal Offenses by Type of Harm
The percentage of the criminal offenses against individuals causing physical harm was 5.4%; (5.7% in the West Bank and 5.1% in Gaza Strip).
The results showed that 66.6% of the criminal offenses against individuals in Palestine in which tangible losses were reported (56.3% in the West Bank and 76.4% in the Gaza Strip), while 1.7% of the individuals reported physical and tangible losses. Moreover, 26.4% of the total individuals exposed to criminal offenses reported that there were no losses of any kind (35.0% in the West Bank and 18.0% in the Gaza Strip)
In this context, the percentage of individuals with tangible losses were estimated at JD 1000 or more reached 15.6% (20.4% in the West Bank and 12.1% in the Gaza Strip). Also, the percentage of individuals with tangible losses that were estimated of less than JD 1000 reached 84.4% (79.6% in the West Bank and 87.9% in the Gaza Strip)
Party Prone to Tangible Losses
94.8% of individuals exposed to criminal offense were prone to tangible losses and covered the losses by themselves.
Main Indicators of Victimization Survey - 1996, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
|
Indicator |
Years |
||||||
|
1996 |
1999 |
2004 |
2008 |
2012 |
2016 |
2020 |
|
|
Households that were Victims of Criminal Offenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of victimized households of all criminal offenses |
5.6 |
5.1 |
11.3 |
7.5 |
9.6 |
7.0 |
5.4 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to theft (excluding motor vehicle) |
1.6 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
2.0 |
3.2 |
3.6 |
2.8 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to theft of motor vehicle or part of it |
1.8 |
1.9 |
1.1 |
6.1 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
2.4 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to robbery or theft attempt |
.. |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.4 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to property damage |
1.3 |
0.2 |
1.5 |
1.7 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to threat |
1.3 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to assault |
1.2 |
0.4 |
1.5 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
0.6 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to Israeli soldiers or settlers harassment or assault |
.. |
1.3 |
7.1 |
2.4 |
4.4 |
1.3 |
0.7 |
|
Percentage of households exposed to other crimes |
.. |
.. |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
|
Households that were victims of informatics threats on websites |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The percentage of households that one of its members was exposed to cyber threats at least once |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
3.8 |
2.0 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to Criminal Offense |
.. |
.. |
.. |
1.3 |
1.8 |
1.4 |
1.1 |
|
Individuals who were victims by Last Criminal Offense* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of persons exposed to theft/theft robbery attempt |
54.2 |
55.2 |
19.5 |
33.9 |
41.9 |
61.8 |
60.9 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to threat/assault |
18.8 |
18.0 |
13.1 |
18.4 |
10.6 |
14.9 |
19.6 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to property damage |
16.1 |
4.4 |
8.2 |
18.3 |
3.0 |
0.4 |
4.8 |
|
Location of Last Crime* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense inside house |
23.5 |
16.5 |
44.8 |
45.9 |
49.3 |
35.8 |
34.8 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense nearby house |
32.8 |
41.7 |
17.5 |
26.4 |
19.0 |
26.8 |
34.1 |
|
Last Crime Reporting* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of victimized persons who reported the crime |
40.2 |
43.2 |
29.5 |
53.0 |
43.4 |
43.0 |
52.2 |
|
Reasons for Not Reporting Last Crime* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of victimized persons not reporting because the crime was not serious enough |
.. |
51.7 |
29.3 |
28.5 |
46.4 |
40.7 |
38.2 |
|
Percentage of victimized persons not reporting because of personal/ tribal solution |
.. |
10.7 |
30.0 |
18.3 |
8.2 |
12.6 |
20.0 |
|
Percentage of victimized persons not reporting because of preferring no interference of the police |
.. |
10.7 |
20.7 |
21.2 |
23.2 |
24.3 |
23.3 |
|
Physical Harm and Tangible Losses of Last Crime* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense and caused physical harm |
22.6 |
16.5 |
10.5 |
12.3 |
5.5 |
8.6 |
5.4 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense and caused tangible losses |
77.4 |
61.0 |
60.0 |
63.9 |
74.9 |
68.2 |
66.6 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense and caused physical harm and tangible losses |
.. |
3.2 |
3.4 |
1.8 |
1.5 |
3.2 |
1.7 |
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense and caused tangible losses of 1000 and more Jordanian Dinars
|
15.3 |
14.7 |
21.2 |
30.4 |
19.9 |
19.8 |
15.6 |
|
Party Prone to Tangible Losses of Last Crime* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of persons exposed to criminal offense and the victim was prone to tangible losses |
85.8 |
88.7 |
78.6 |
72.7 |
94.4 |
91.8 |
94.8 |
|
(-): Means data not available. |
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|
:(*) Percent of the total individuals who were subject to at least one criminal offense |
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