Definition and measurement of violence in the Crime Survey for England and Wales : Implications for the amount and gendering of violence

Davies, Elouise and Obolenskaya, Polina and Francis, Brian and Blom, Niels and Phoenix, Jessica and Pullerits, Merili and Walby, Sylvia (2024) Definition and measurement of violence in the Crime Survey for England and Wales : Implications for the amount and gendering of violence. British Journal of Criminology. ISSN 0007-0955

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Abstract

The definitions and the methodology used in surveys to measure violence have implications for its estimated volume and gendered distribution. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) uses quite a narrow definition of ‘violence against the person’ which excludes crimes which are arguably violent in nature. This paper expands the CSEW’s measurement of violence by regarding threats,robbery, sexual violence, and mixed violence/property crimes as violence. This results in the shift of the gender distribution of violence, with a higher proportion of violence against women (from 39% to 58%) and by domestic perpetrators (from 29% to 32%). Impacts of violence (injuries and emotional harm) are also affected by the change in definition and disproportionally so for women.