In most contexts, concerns about negative stigma might lead few youth to self‐report being involved in anti‐social behavior or criminal activity. Since criminal activity is so common in Port Moresby, however, rates of self‐reported victimization and involvement are high in both the baseline and follow‐up survey. Other factors may also have contributed to respondents freely sharing their experience with crime. During the interview process, respondents were explicitly informed that their responses to these sensitive questions would not affect their chances of being selected for the project. The survey was also managed by an independent survey firm not associated with the Project Management Unit. Finally, participants were informed that the project had a specific objective of targeting disadvantaged youth, which in the context of NCD has included many youth who may have been involved in anti‐social behavior or criminal activities in the past.

As a result, a large share of eligible youth from intakes 4 and 5 report that they have engaged in, or been a victim of, anti‐social behavior or criminal activity at least once in their life. Applicants were somewhat more likely to report being victims of crime, but reported rates of victimization and perpetration are both remarkably high. For example, 53.3% of all project eligible youth, including 57.3% of all males and 47.7% of all females, reported being victimized by criminal activity in the past (see Figure 1). Moreover, 36.7% of eligible youth report being involved in the past in at least one criminal activity. While the survey is not a representative sample of youth, the rates of self‐reported crime are still remarkably high.

Figure 2 presents the results on engagement in anti‐social behavior or criminal activity or being a victim of it by the type of activity. This includes stealing, assault, alcohol and drug related activity such as fights, and trespassing.<sup>14</sup> For each of these activities, we report the incidence of self‐reported perpetration and victimhood, disaggregated by gender (see Figure 2). The results indicate that 37% of youth report being a victim of stealing, with rather similar levels for males and females (38.3% and 34.7%, respectively). Not surprisingly, significant differences emerge by gender, as 24.2% for males and 3.0% for females reporting previous involvement (see Panel A, Figure 2).

The reported incidence of assault is also very high, both for perpetration and victimhood. The average reported incidence of being an assault victim is 34.7%; 39.1% for males and 26.7% for females. Strikingly, 31.1% of males also report having engaged in assault at least once. The reported incidence for females is much lower, but still quite significant, at 16.6% (see Panel B, Figure 3). It is worth noting that the definition of assault includes both physical and verbal abuse. With regard to domestic violence, 19.8% of sample respondents indicate being a victim at some point in life, with 17% and 24.7% for males and females, respectively. 14.2% also report being involved in such behavior (see Panel B, Figure 2).

> 14 We have also looked at the category “other criminal activity” in the survey, but since we have found only a few

> (4) observations in this category, the results are not reported here.

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