Spatial is special : a socio-geographic profile of offenders in the City of Tswane, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to improve knowledge on the spatial origin and development of criminal offenders within the Tshwane municipality. A preliminary socio-demographic profile of offenders residing within Tshwane is compiled based on a written survey of a sample of 75 offenders. The importance of residential location in defining the socio-demographic profile of offenders is investigated through the use of location quotients (LQs). The study revealed that the sample of offenders tended to reside in suburbs that exhibited offender rates between 11-28% higher than the municipality as a whole. In the context of exposure to criminal elements, economic offenders were found to be more prone to the deleterious effects of suburbs than violent or sexual offenders. The study motivates that location is an important risk factor for criminal offending in South Africa.