People at a park near the Manila City Hall. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Families who reported victimization by cybercrime such as online scams, hacking, or cyberbullying reached a "record high" in September 2024, a Social Weather Stations survey (SWS) suggests.

The SWS poll released Saturday said families victimized by cybercrime nationwide "rose sharply" from 3.7 percent in June 2024 to a "new record-high" 7.2 percent in September 2024.

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The poll revealed that quarterly victimization by cybercrime rose in Metro Manila from 3 percent in June 2024 to 12.3 percent in September 2024.

In Balance Luzon, cybercrime incidents increased from 5.2 percent to 6.3 percent; in the Visayas, from 1.7 percent to 7.7 percent; and in Mindanao, from 3.0 percent to 5.7 percent.

The SWS survey polled 1,200 adults in families nationwide from September 14 to 23, 2024, with a sampling error margin of ±2.5 percent.

They were asked, "In the past six months, have you or any member of your family been a victim of cybercrime?"

The opinion pollster said it started monitoring cybercrime in June 2023 — the first addition in 30 years.

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COMMON CRIMES

Meanwhile, more Filipino families were reporting they were victimized by any of the common crimes such as pickpocketing or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carnapping, and physical violence.

The survey said 6.1 percent of families in September 2024 revealed they fell victim to common crimes within the past six months — 2.3 percentage points above the 3.8 percent in June 2024. 

It is also the highest since September 2023 when 8.1 percent of families reported being victimized by common crimes.

The survey also found that 56 percent of Filipino adults feared burglary, barely changed from 55 percent in June 2024, and that 48 percent were fearful of walking the streets at night, down slightly from 50 percent in June 2024.

The SWS noted that victimization by common crimes reported in its surveys is "much higher than the number of crimes reported to the police."

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VISIBILITY OF DRUG ADDICTS

The September poll also found that the visibility of drug addicts fell slightly in all areas.

Some 41 percent of those surveyed noticed "many drug addicts" in their neighborhood — a decrease of 5 percentage points from 46 percent in June 2024.

The SWS noted that families fearing the presence of many drug addicts were highest in Metro Manila at 66 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 44 percent, the Visayas at 29 percent, and Mindanao at 30 percent.

The figures were lower compared to June 2024 when the fear of many drug addicts fell slightly from 65 percent in Metro Manila, 52 percent in Balance Luzon, 33 percent in the Visayas, and 34 percent in Mindanao.

FEAR OF UNSAFE STREETS

Fear of unsafe streets rose in the Visayas, was barely changed in Metro Manila, and fell in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, the SWS also reported.

The September 2024 survey found that 48 percent agreed that people in their neighborhood were usually afraid to walk in the street at night because it was not safe. 

The pollster said the figure barely moved from 50 percent in June 2024.

Specifically, the survey indicated that those fearing unsafe streets were highest in Metro Manila at 57 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 50 percent, the Visayas at 46 percent, and Mindanao at 42 percent.

Compared to June 2024, the fear of unsafe streets rose from 38 percent in the Visayas and it hardly moved from 58 percent in Metro Manila. It fell from 55 percent in Balance Luzon and 44 percent in Mindanao.