- 50% of over 65s said cybercrime was one of their most feared crimes compared to just 26% of under 44s
- Meanwhile, 39% of under 44s fear physical assault, compared to only 21% of over 65s
- Anti-social behaviour was the most feared crime overall with 69%
The survey, conducted by Neighbourhood Watch in partnership with Simplisafe UK, asked both members and non-members a variety of questions surrounding crime, from their feelings on crime levels to the kinds of crimes they have experienced themselves.
One of the questions of the survey asked respondents to choose the top 3 crimes that they were most worried about experiencing, with the most selected answer being “anti-social behaviour” appearing in 69% of responses. This was followed by “having your house broken into” which was selected by 49.8% of respondents, with “cybercrime” coming in third with 45.2%.
However, the more interesting statistic surrounding cybercrime is the divide between older and younger generations. While 50% of respondents aged 65 or over chose it as one of their biggest worries and those aged 44-64 selected it 43% of the time, only 26% of under 44s selected this option. This gap – more specifically the 24% one between over 65s and under 44s – highlights how left behind older people are feeling when it comes to technology, and are much more likely to worry about its associated dangers than those who grew up with the technology.
Although the over 65 age group may have increased fears about experiencing a crime online, it’s the under 44s who worry more about being attacked physically – specifically physical assault. This option was selected by 39% of under 44s, 6% more than those in the 44-65 age range and 18% more than over 65s.
As for why this may be the case, there’s many ways the data could be interpreted. This could range from elderly people feeling that their age is a deterrent when it comes to being attacked, to younger people spending more time out and about and so feeling more susceptible to being a victim to physical assault.
“What the data is showing here is two very different age groups with two very different concerns,” says Jonathan Wall VP, Managing Director of SimpliSafe UK. “The differences in worries about physical assault are more difficult to discern with a lot of different factors that could be playing a part, but the gap in responses regarding cybercrime would appear to be a lot easier to explain. For half of the over 65s group to be worried about being targets of cybercrime it’s clearly something that needs to be addressed, especially when it’s becoming increasingly unfeasible for people to stay disconnected from the internet.
“Educational resources and opportunities to help those who feel left behind, afraid of, or worried about modern technology should be freely accessible to all those who need it, including how to prevent being targets of and spot potential cybercrime. One of the major problems however is that many of these resources are only available online, which almost defeats the purpose of these resources in the first place. We need to make sure that they are accessible physically as well as digitally, ideally in the form of classes or drop-in sessions that allow attendees to ask questions and have a back and forth conversation with someone who is able to help them. Cybersecurity is becoming more and more important each day, and people of all ages have the right to be educated on how they can protect themselves online.”
About SimpliSafe
Home security brand, SimpliSafe launched in the UK in April 2019 with the goal to make ‘every home secure’. Originally founded in the US in 2006, SimpliSafe fundamentally changed the alarm industry, pioneering a new way to make home the safest place for everyone. It was the first to offer homeowners a professional monitoring home security service with its systems that have no long-term contracts and at affordable prices.
Each SimpliSafe system comes with a Base Station, Wireless Keypad and SimpliCam® at its core, then additional sensors and detectors can be added to suit the layout of different homes.
SimpliCam, SimpliSafe and their respective logos are the registered trademarks of SimpliSafe, Inc. in the UK, United States and other countries.
Visit SimpliSafe.co.uk for more details.
About Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch was founded in 1982 and is the largest voluntary movement focused on crime prevention in England and Wales. Over 2.3 million people belong to local schemes supported by voluntary Associations. Neighbourhood Watch Network is an independent charity (registered in England and Wales 1173349) that acts as the movement’s national umbrella organisation. Membership in Neighbourhood Watch schemes is open to all and is free, although donations may be requested by local groups. Neighbourhood Watch’s website address is ourwatch.org.uk, and the charity can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
