Domestic abuse: statistics recorded by the police in Scotland - 2010/11 and 2011/12

1. Introduction

1.1 This bulletin presents statistics on domestic abuse, based on details of incidents supplied by the eight Scottish police forces in 2010-11 and 2011-12. It forms part of the Scottish Government series of statistical bulletins on the criminal justice system. The figures are used to inform policy and, in conjunction with the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (see note 4.12), are used to measure the extent and nature of domestic abuse in Scotland.

1.2 There were 59,847 incidents of domestic abuse recorded in 2011-12, compared to the 55,698 incidents recorded in 2010-11, an increase of 7% and continuing the generally increasing trend. 54% of incidents recorded in 2011-12 (32,369) led to the recording of a crime or offence down from 58% (32,370) in 2010-11 (table 2 and chart 1).

Chart 1 Incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police: crimes and offences and behaviour not amounting to a crime or offence, Scotland, 2002-03 to 2011-12.