4137 ISS Paper 175.indd

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) provides an overview of the 2007 National Crime and Victimisation Survey (NCVS) in South Africa. It compares data from 2007 with previous surveys from 1998 and 2003 to track trends in victimisation, reporting rates, public perceptions of safety, and the performance of the criminal justice system.

• Overall victimisation levels in South Africa showed a slight decline, with 22 per cent of respondents experiencing a crime in the 12 months before the 2007 survey, compared to 24.5 per cent in 1998 and 23 per cent in 2003.
• Public perception of crime contradicts actual victimisation data; 57 per cent of 2007 respondents felt crime levels had increased since 2003, an increase from the 53 per cent who felt crime had risen between 1998 and 2003.
• Reporting rates for the most common crimes generally increased between 1998 and 2007, most notably for assault, where the rate rose from 38 per cent to 76 per cent. However, reporting for corruption decreased from 11 per cent in 2003 to 6 per cent in 2007.
• Perceived safety has declined significantly since 1998, particularly at night; only 21 per cent of respondents felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark in 2007, compared to 56 per cent in 1998.
• There is a growing perception that crime is committed by non-nationals. In 2003, less than 5 per cent of respondents believed foreigners committed crime, but this rose to 10 per cent in the 2007 survey, with higher perceptions in Gauteng and border provinces.
• Public attitudes toward government responses to crime have become more punitive. Support for social development as a primary tool to address violent crime dropped from 49 per cent in 2003 to 37 per cent in 2007, while support for punitive measures (courts and prisons) rose from 21 per cent to 35 per cent.
• Public perception of the judiciary improved slightly, with 75.5 per cent of respondents in 2007 reporting that courts performed adequately, compared to 71.4 per cent in 2003. The most common reason for satisfaction was the passing of appropriate sentences (68 per cent).

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). 4137 ISS Paper 175.indd. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper175.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. 4137 ISS Paper 175.indd. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper175.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=4137 ISS Paper 175.indd |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper175.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnd4137, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{4137 ISS Paper 175.indd}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper175.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }