News

Violent crime rising since 2009

Monday, 18 April 2016

Violent crime has increased in recent years, Professor Sylvia Walby explained last week to a packed audience at this year's Eve Saville memorial lecture. The rise, she added, has been driven by increases in domestic violent cime and violent crime against women.

Contrary to the common view among politicians and journalists that violent crime has been falling consistently since the mid-1990s, Professor Walby argued that violent crime has in fact been rising since 2009.

Drawing on a new methodology that makes more visible the experience of repeat victimisation, Professor Walby pointed to a strong gender difference in violence victimisation.

Since 2009, violent crime against men has continued to fall, she argued. For women, by contrast, it has risen, with domestic violence being the key driver.

Professor Walby's lecture drew on a recent article she and co-authors published in the British Journal of Criminology.

The article is available free to download here.