Malta participates in United Nations Crime Victim Survey

Malta participates in United Nations Crime Victim Survey

The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in Rome and the Government of Malta have agreed to participate in the 1997 administration of the UN Crime Victim Survey. This research is taking place in Malta from January through March. The success of the research, and resulting plans for reducing crime and improving services to victims, relies heavily on the full co-operation of persons accepting to be interviewed if approached.

The survey has been supervised by UNICRI in fifty-seven countries of varying degrees of social and political development around the globe in 1989, 1992 and now in 1996/7. At the local level this first-ever survey is under the guidance of National Project Co-ordinator Dr Nancy Grosselfinger, Professor of Criminology at the University of Malta. The survey was designed by a committee of criminologists to serve the needs of the world's diverse nations and provides for the collection of comparable data in each country, thereby facilitating international comparisons, as well as meeting local needs.

In Malta the questionnaire is being conducted by a team of ten interviewers selected on the basis of their academic preparation and experience and specifically trained for this project. One thousand households are chosen by random sampling from the telephone directory of Malta and Gozo. Interviewers identify the individual in the household over sixteen years of age who has the next birthday as the respondent. An appointment is established to visit the home and privately conduct a structured interview of approximately twenty minutes. Questions inquire about the experience of the household members and respondent with regard to their crime victimisation in the past year (1996) or the past five years (1992 - 1996), in several specific crimes, reporting behaviour, response of the criminal justice system, attitudes toward punishment, sense of safety, and demographic information. All information is confidential and interviewers are anonymous.

Following collection of the data and computerisation of the results, a national report is to be prepared by late April and presented formally for workshop discussions at the national level, with a view toward planning local strategies responsive to the findings. Results elsewhere indicate that being a victim of crime is by no means uncommon or that high crime rates are unique. Based on their survey findings other nations have decided to improve collaboration between the police, judiciary, voluntary sector and government by expanding special support services for crime victims.

The data will be further analysed for international comparisons by UNICRI staff. All national reports and international comparative results will be presented at the Ninth International Symposium on Victimology meeting in Amsterdam on August 25 - 29.

MALTA TIEÓU SEHEM FL-ISTÓARRIÍ DWAR VITTMI TA' KRIMINALITA`

L-Istitut tar-Riðerka Internazzjonali dwar il-Kriminalita` u l-Íustizzja tal-Ínus Maæquda (UNICRI) f'Ruma u l-Gvern Malti qablu li fl-1997 isir l-Istóarrií dwar il-Vittmi ta' Kriminalita` tal-Ínus Maæquda. Dan l-istóarrií qed isir f'Malta bejn Jannar u Marzu ta' din is-sena. Is-success ta' dan l-istóarrií u l-pjanijiet sussegwenti biex tonqos il-kriminalita` u jitjiebu s-servizzi lill-vittmi, jiddependu óafna fuq il-ko-operazzjoni sóióa ta' dawk il-persuni li jkunu mitluba biex jiíu intervistati.

L-istess stóarrií diía` sar, taót il-óarsien tal-UNICRI, f'57 pajjiú ta' gradi differenti ta' úvilupp soðjali u politiku madwar id-dinja, fl-1989, 1992 u issa fl-1996/97. Fil-kaú ta' Malta, din hi l-ewwel darba li qed isir stóarrií ta' din ix-xorta. Dan qed isir taót il-gwida tal-Ko-ordinatriði Nazzjonali tal-Proíett, Dr Nancy Grosselfinger, Professoressa tal-Kriminoloíija fl-Universita` ta' Malta. L-istóarrií íie ippjanat minn kumitat ta' kriminoloíisti biex jaqdi l-ótiíijiet ta' nazzjonijiet differenti fid-dinja u jipprovdi æall-íbir ta' informazzjoni komparabbli f'kull pajjiz, biex jiffaðilita tqabbil ma' pajjiúi oóra kif ukoll jilóaq il-búonnijiet lokali.

F'Malta, l-istóarrií qed isir minn grupp ta' æaxar intervistaturi maæúula abaúi tal-kwalifiki akkademiði u esperjenza, li íew imóarría speðifikament fuq dan il-proíett. Elf familja íew maæúula bla ebda ordni jew kriterju mid-direttorju tat-telefon ta' Malta u Æawdex biex jiíu intervistati. Il-persuna li tiíi intervistata tkun dik li tkun fuq 16-il sena u li jmissa taælaq sninha l-ewwel f'dik il-familja. Isir appuntament minn qabel biex l-intervistatur jew l-intervistatriði júuru d-djar u jaæmlu l-intervista strutturata ta' madwar æoxrin minuta privatament. Id-domandi jistóarríu l-esperjenzi ta' l-intervistat u tal- familja tieæu li setæu æaddew minnhom fejn jikkonðerna vittimizzazzjoni fis-sena li æaddiet (1996) jew fl-aóóar óames snin (1992-1996). Id-domandi jirrigwardaw vittimizzazzjoni b'riúultat ta' reati speðifiði, attitudni dwar rappurtar, kif irrispondiet is-sistema tal-íustizzja kriminali æal dawn ir-rapporti, x'wieóed jaóseb dwar il-pieni, is-sens ta' sigurta` u informazzjoni demografika. L-informazzjoni kollha hija kunfidenzjali u dawk intervistati jibqæu anonimi.

Wara li tiíi miíbura l-informazzjoni u jiíu komputerazzati r-rizultati sa l-aóóar ta' April irid isir rapport nazzjonali li jiíi preúentat formalment æal diskussjonijiet f'workshop fuq livell nazzjonali, bl-iskop li jiíu ppjanati strategiji lokali skond ir-riúultati tal-istóarrií. Riúultati miksuba f'pajjizi oóra juru li, li tkun vittma ta' reat mhix xi óaía rari jew li rati æolja ta' reati huma xi óaía straordinarja. Abaúi ta' stharrií bóal dan, nazzjonijiet oóra iddeðidew li jtejbu il-kollaborazzjoni bejn il-pulizija, il-Qorti, il-volontarjat u l-Gvern billi jespandu servizzi ta' sosten speðjali æall-vittmi ta' kriminalita`.

L-informazzjoni tiíi wkoll analizzata u mqabbla fuq livell internazzjonali mill-UNICRI. Ir-rapporti nazzjonali kollha u r-riúultati komparattivi internazzjonali jiíu ippreúentati fid-Disa' Symposium Internazzjonali dwar il-Vittimoloíija li ser isir f'Amsterdam bejn il-25 u 29 ta' Awissu.