Recorded Crime in Scotland statistics: FOI release

Information requested

Age and gender breakdowns for some of the figures presented within Tables A12 and A4 of the Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24 Accredited Official Statistics, specifically:

• cyber threats and extortion crimes (Table A12) and,
• recorded crimes of threatening to disclose/disclosure of intimate images (Table A4).

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the full information you have requested on the age and gender breakdowns for the recorded crimes of cyber threats and extortion or threatening to disclose/disclosure of intimate images. Whilst the Scottish Government publishes statistics on Recorded Crime in Scotland, the data provided to us by Police Scotland is in an aggregated format (based on a simple count of crimes and offences committed for any given time period). This does not include details on specific individuals, and therefore based on the information we hold we cannot determine the age and gender breakdowns of victims within any given total of recorded crime.

Some additional information is available from the analysis undertaken by Scottish Government statisticians for the ‘Police recorded cyber-crime in Scotland’ chapter of the statistics (for which Table A12 is produced). Statistics on cyber-crimes are based on a different methodology to the above, whereby a random sample of crime records (drawn across Scotland) is reviewed for those types of crime that could in theory involve a cyber-element. Part of that review included collecting information on the age and gender of victims. A summary of this information is provided below and in the attached tables.

• Further Analysis of the cases reviewed for the ‘Police recorded cyber-crime in Scotland’ chapter of the Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24 Accredited Official Statistics

Please note that as this research is based on a sample of police records (rather than all records), the figures presented are estimates. The true value may differ slightly from the findings presented due to sampling error. As such, these figures provided should be treated as a broad indication of the age and gender characteristics of victims, rather than as an exact measure. As noted in the bulletin, most cyber threats and extortion crimes relate to ‘sextortion’, most commonly where the perpetrator threatens to reveal evidence of the victim’s online sexual activity unless they receive some form of monetary payment. Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, an estimated 6,190 crimes of Threats and extortion were cyber-crimes, which is around 86% of this crime type. This total may differ slightly from the summing of the estimated volumes in Table A12 due to rounding. Across this period an estimated 84% of victims were male, 13% were female and 3% were either a non-person based victim or unknown. In terms of victim age, an estimated 39% were aged 18 to 24 years old. Those aged 25 to 44 years old accounted for a further 28%. Those aged under 18 years old accounted for 20% of victims.

We are unable to provide the equivalent information for the recorded crimes of threatening to disclose/disclosure of intimate images as these cases (which form part of the wider ‘sexual crimes’ category in the cyber-crime chapter) were sampled too infrequently to provide a robust estimate of their characteristics. Whereas cyber threats and extortion crimes relate to the perpetrator making demands for money or other valuables, should a reported sextortion-related crime involve a motive other than financial gain (for example a demand of a physical sexual nature or some other attempt to exert control over the victim), Police Scotland will record and investigate this under the Threatening to disclose/disclosure of an intimate image heading.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400420748 - Information released - Annex

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Excel document

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