The Department of Justice (DOJ) today published Research and Statistical Bulletin 24/2017 ‘Perceptions of the Youth Justice Agency: Findings from the 2010/11 to 2015/16 Northern Ireland Crime Surveys’. It is an Official Statistics Publication.
This bulletin is based on findings from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey (NICS). Based on a module designed to examine the perceptions of, and attitudes to, the Youth Justice Agency among Northern Ireland Crime Survey respondents, this publication aims to:
- measure public knowledge of the Youth Justice Agency in Northern Ireland; and
- measure public confidence in the work of the Youth Justice Agency in Northern Ireland.
The key findings were as follows:
- NICS 2015/16 findings show just over a quarter (27.6%) of respondents indicated that they had heard of the Youth Justice Agency, while the remaining 72.4% felt they had not. These figures were unchanged when compared with NICS 2014/15.
- Over two-fifths (41.3%) of respondents felt either very or fairly aware of the work of the Youth Justice Agency. The other 58.7% of respondents felt either not very or not at all aware. These figures were unchanged when compared with NICS 2014/15.
- Of those who were “very or fairly aware of the work” of the Youth Justice Agency (question 2), more than half (55.2%) were very or fairly confident that the Youth Justice Agency is effective at reducing re-offending by young people aged 10-17. This figure was unchanged when compared with NICS 2010/11 and NICS 2014/15.
Notes to editors:
An alternative, but complementary, measure of crime to offences recorded by the police, the main aims of NICS are to:
- measure crime victimisation rates experienced by people living in private households regardless of whether or not these crimes were reported to, or recorded by, the police;
- monitor trends in the level of crime, independent of changes in reporting levels or police recording practices;
- measure people’s perceptions of and reactions to crime (for example, the level and causes of crime, the extent to which they are concerned about crime and the effect of crime on their quality of life);
- identify the characteristics and circumstances of people most at risk from and affected by different types of crime;
- measure public confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system; and
- collect sensitive information, using self-completion modules, on people’s experiences regarding crime-related issues, such as domestic violence.
This official statistics publication draws, primarily, on a suite of questions included in a NICS module on the Youth Justice Agency undertaken between April 2015 and March 2016. A total of 1,966 respondents completed the module.
Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference. They are also subject to restrictions in terms of pre-release access.
View the bulletin or for an alternative format contact Analytical Services Group, Laganside House, 23-27 Oxford Street, Belfast BT1 3LA (Telephone: 02890 724551; Email: statistics.research@justice-ni.x.gsi.gov.uk
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