Reading Between the Lines: Crime and Victimization in Liberia
Liberia ARMeD ViOLeNCe aSSeSSMeNT Issue Brief Number 2 September 2011 Reading between the Lines Crime and Victimization in Liberia Eight years after the end of the civil been conducted for over two decades’ Blair, 2011; Dziewanski, 2011a). It con - war in 2003, Liberia witnessed large (Blair, 2011, p. 5). siders information on the types of improvements in security. As high- Together with local partners, the violence reported, how violence is lighted in the first Issue Brief of this Small Arms Survey conducted a nation- perpetrated, where it takes place, when series, people in Liberia generally feel wide household survey in 2010 to fill it occurs, and who represent the main much safer than in previous years, and some of the data gaps and to generate perpetrators and victims. The Issue Brief many Liberians consider development an evidence-based understanding of also presents examples of program- issues a more pressing concern than violence in post-war Liberia. This ming efforts prevent and reduce crime security threats (Small Arms Survey, second Issue Brief of five relies on the and violence. The main results of this 2011). At the individual household survey findings, key informant inter- study are: level, however, the picture is some- views with local representatives—in- what less positive. Despite the overall cluding city mayors, police officers, Almost one in seven households national improvement, many Liberians religious leaders, students, elders, and (13.5 per cent) reports that at least still worry that someone in their house- heads of grassroots organizations— one household member was the hold may become the victim of a crime.
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