National crime statistics show a rise in the number of sexual offences over the past year
SEXUAL CRIMES in Scotland are on the rise, according to the latest national statistics from the new Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin from the Scottish Government.
The report, which outlines recorded crime levels over the past year, shows that while reported crime overall has gone down, there has been a rise in the number of sexual crimes.
Between 2015-16 and 2016-17, sexual crimes in Scotland increased by five per cent, going from 10,273 to 10,822. This amounts to the highest level of such crimes since 1971, the first year for which comparable data was available.
Taking these figures into account, this also means that sexual crimes in Scotland have risen by 65 per cent since 2007-8.
“Now more than ever we can see the urgent need to challenge this behaviour by undertaking prevention work with young people across Scotland.” Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive Sandy Bridley
Responding to the new statistics, Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive Sandy Brindley said: “The exponential increase in crimes such as communicating indecently and causing someone to view sexual activity or images is both significant and worrying.
“This is a wake-up call: now more than ever we can see the urgent need to challenge this behaviour by undertaking prevention work with young people across Scotland.
“In our work with young people in schools, they tell us of everyday sexual assault, harassment, and the sharing of intimate images without their consent.
“We must ensure that every young person in Scotland has access to interventions on consent and healthy relationships.” Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive Sandy Bridley
“If we are serious about tackling the increasing levels of sexual crime being experienced by young people, we must ensure that every young person in Scotland has access to interventions on consent and healthy relationships.
“The Rape Crisis Scotland prevention programme currently reaches 13,000 young people a year. Young people tell us how keen they are to have a space to discuss these issues. Teachers tell us how concerned they are about these issues, particularly the sharing of sexual and intimate images.”
Rape Crisis Scotland also highlighted the dramatic rise in the number of offences classified by the statistics as ‘other sexual crimes’, one of the four categories Police Scotland employs to record sexual crimes. This category represents 40 per cent of reported sexual crimes in 2016-17. ‘Sexual assault’ also comprised 40 per cent, while ‘rape and attempted rape’ account for 17 per cent.
Within the ‘other sexual crimes’ category, the three most common types of crime are ‘communicating’ are ‘communicating indecently’, ‘cause to view sexual activity or images’ and ‘indecent photos of children’.
Seventy-nine per cent of ‘other sexual crimes’ victims are female. The median age of victims of these crimes is 15 years old, while almost 60 per cent of said victims are under 16. 95 per cent of perpetrators of these crimes are male, with a median age of 29, though 14 per cent of perpetrators are under 16.
“These are attacks predominantly on young people, by young people, and we can no longer be silent in dealing with these.” Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Claire Baker MSP
More than half of these crimes (51 per cent) were cyber-enabled, with the mobile phone being the most common device used by perpetrators to communicate indecently and cause victims to view sexual images.
Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson Claire Baker MSP commented: “Sexual crime has continually been on the rise and while that can be attributed in some part to increasing confidence in victims coming forward, there are also more attacks being carried out.
“That can be seen in the staggering rise in cyber-related sexual crimes. These are attacks predominantly on young people, by young people, and we can no longer be silent in dealing with these.”
Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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