LeSuBiA is a nationwide survey of the population on the living situation, safety and strain in everyday life in Germany.

The study aims to generate an overall picture of different areas of people’s lives in Germany. This includes topics such as family and housing situation, health, origin and personal attitudes. One special focus is the survey of stressful experiences within and outside partnerships. It is also a stated aim to gather knowledge about experiences with the police, justice and victim support services.

The data collected will be analysed scientifically and anonymously. All data protection regulations are, of course, complied with. Your details will be treated in the strictest confidence. The findings support policy makers in taking targeted measures to improve the situation of people in Germany.

With the help of the following “Questions and Answers”, we present the study’s background and offer you some key insight into its implementation.

Questions and answers about LeSuBiA

1. Client: Who is the client of the LeSuBiA study?

The study is jointly conducted by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).

2. Survey institute: What exactly do the BKA and the survey institute Verian (formerly Kantar Public) have to do with each other?

A survey of so many people is very time-consuming. For this reason, the BKA is supported by a survey institute. The contract was awarded following a public tender. The BKA commissioned Verian – a survey institute which, until recently, operated under the name Kantar Public – to conduct the survey. The tasks of Verian comprise, among other things, planning and coordinating the interviewers, drawing the sample, programming the questionnaires, coordinating the survey and processing the data. At the end of the survey, the Federal Criminal Police Office receives an anonymised data set from Verian with the anonymised answers of the respondents (i.e. without their names and addresses). The BKA then analyses the data. The results can then be used to develop and implement measures to protect people.

3. Funding: Who pays for the LeSuBiA study?

The full costs of the study are borne by the federal government.

4. “Reported and unreported crime”: How can crime be surveyed?

In order to study the extent of crime in Germany, information is collected from reported and unreported crime. Data from reported crime include all offences officially reported to the police, public prosecutor’s office or local courts. However, not all crimes that happen in Germany are reported. Victimisation surveys, therefore, attempt to ascertain the actual extent of all crimes – whether reported or not. Only on the basis of information of the reported and unreported crime a comprehensive picture of the crime situation and crime development in Germany be created.

5. LeSuBiA victimisation survey: What is the study about? What is the goal?

Results of the victimisation surveys of the Federal Criminal Police Office allow an assessment of the crime rate in Germany as a whole that is as truthful as possible. The results are used to better protect the population from crime, and to design the help system according to needs.

LeSuBiA is such a victimisation survey, which collects information on the extent of the unreported crime in the area of experience of violence by means of surveys.

6. Methodology: How is the research conducted?

So-called “victim surveys” are conducted to research unreported crime. However, this does not mean that only victims or those affected are interviewed. Randomly selected citizens who represent the population as a whole are interviewed. The results are extrapolated to the total population using statistical methods. A key goal is to make statements about the prevalence of various forms of crime in the past year and in the past five years.

LeSuBiA asks all citizens randomly selected for the survey the same predetermined questions. Information on the background and procedure of the study will be sent by post. Interviewers then contact the selected respondents to conduct the survey at the home of the respondents.

7. “Representative” sampling: Why was I selected?

You were selected to represent some of the 69 million adults living in Germany. Your name was obtained at random from the registers of the residents’ registration offices of the cities and municipalities. This random selection is important, in order to get a meaningful picture of the population. This procedure is regulated by civic registration framework laws, and is subject to strict data protection.

8. Verification of authenticity: How can I check whether the cover letter really comes from the survey institute, and whether the survey is being conducted on behalf of the BKA?

1.) Check the cover letters and the completeness of the two logos – that of LeSuBiA and that of the survey institute Verian (formerly Kantar Public) – and their appearance carefully.

2.) The interviewers of Verian are obliged to carry and show an interviewer ID card. Check the interviewer’s ID card and ask to see their identity card as well.

Important: the letters sent by Verian (resp. Kantar Public) are never intended to sell you any product or to promote a product, event, organisation or party. We do not want any information from you about details of your bank accounts etc. and will not accuse you of any misdemeanour or criminal offence.

9. Content: What is the content of the survey?

The survey asks questions on these topics, in particular:

• Family and housing situation
• Health
• Origin
• Personal attitudes towards various issues
• Experiences of violence in direct coexistence and on the internet
• Reactions to experiences of violence and consequences
• Evaluation of different institutions in how they deal with violence (police, courts, medical care, support services)
• Information about your own person and life situation

Questions about participation

10. Requirements for participation: Can I participate in the study even if I have not been contacted?

It is not possible to register yourself for participation in the LeSuBiA study without having been explicitly contacted. The participants of the LeSuBiA study were randomly selected. Only in this way can the total population of Germany be represented as accurately as possible. You may, therefore, only take part in the survey if you have been selected for the survey and have received a cover letter from us. An interviewer will contact you to arrange an appointment for an interview. 

11. Importance of participation: Why is my participation so important?

The random selection of participants in LeSuBiA makes it possible to draw reliable conclusions about the population of Germany based on the results. But this only works if as many selected people as possible participate. That is why your participation is so important. With your participation, you make a valuable contribution to both politics and society.

Of course, participation in LeSuBiA is voluntary.

It depends on your participation!

Any randomly selected person is eligible for the survey! We want to get a realistic picture of people’s living situation, security and strains in everyday life. It is important that everyone takes part – regardless of your gender, profession or age, whether you come from Germany or are an immigrant, or whether you live with your family or alone. No previous knowledge is required either.

12. Place of participation: Where does the interview take place?

The interview usually takes place at your home. If desired, your interviewer will make every effort to conduct the interview outside your household.

13. Wrong answers: Are there any wrong answers?

There are no wrong answers. It is important for the quality of the survey that as many questions as possible are answered honestly. Your data will only be evaluated anonymously, i.e. it is not possible to draw any conclusions about your person. In principle, you can decide for yourself which questions you answer. You always have the option not to answer questions. However: the more precisely you answer, the more accurate information about the life of the total population in Germany can be obtained.

14. No participation: I do not want to participate in the survey. What should I do?

Participation in the LeSuBiA survey is essentially voluntary. If you have been contacted but do not want to participate in the current LeSuBiA survey, please tell the interviewer or contact us. You can reach us by e-mail at lesubia@veriangroup.com or by telephone by calling 0800-1007752.

15. Costs: Will I have to pay any costs by participating?

There are no costs for you.

Questions about the protection of your data

16. Protecting your data: What happens to my data? How is my data protected?

Of course, all data protection regulations will be observed and your details will be treated in strict confidence. Basically, no one can tell from the results who provided the information. You will find further information on the subject of data protection in our data protection declaration, which you received together with the cover letter.

The BKA and Verian (formerly Kantar Public) work in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations (in particular, the EU General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR], the Federal Data Protection Act [Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG]). In addition, Verian is a member of the Working Group of German Market and Social Research Institutes e.V (ADM) and is bound by its code of conduct.

Verian works with service providers who are contractually bound to data protection, and who work strictly according to instructions.

The following principles apply to the handling of your personal data and the information you provide during the interview:

• The data collected during the interview will be stored separately from your name and address using a pseudonym (code number). Your address data will only be used for the administration and management of the survey. As part of quality control, you may be contacted again (e.g. sending a short questionnaire); in this case, only the information necessary for this purpose will be compiled.
• Your name and contact details will only be stored until the end of the survey phase and all audit and quality assurance steps (expected to be the end of 2024). After that, your name and contact details will be deleted.
• Verian transmits the results of the survey to the BKA exclusively in anonymised form, i.e. without your contact details or any other information that could be used to draw conclusions about you.
• Verian does not pass on your name and address to third parties.
• The anonymised survey data set is permanently archived and scientifically evaluated. It will not be possible to draw conclusions about individuals in these evaluations.

17. Data protection rights: What data protection rights do I have in regard to LeSuBiA?

The Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt, D-65173 Wiesbaden; lesubia@bka.bund.de) is responsible for the survey under data protection law. You can reach the Data Protection Officer of the Federal Criminal Police Office via the corresponding contact form on the BKA website (www.bka.de).

You can assert the following rights under the GDPR against the BKA as the data controller of your personal data:

• Right to withdraw consent – Art. 7 GDPR: you can withdraw your consent to participate in the survey at any time for the relevant purpose.
• Right of disclosure – Art. 15 GDPR: you have the right to request information about your processed personal data.
• Right to rectification – Art. 16 GDPR: you have the right to request the rectification of your inaccurate stored personal data or its completion without delay.
• Right to erasure – Art. 17 GDPR: you have the right to request the immediate erasure of your stored personal data.
• Right to restriction of processing – Art. 18 GDPR: you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
• Right to data portability – Art. 20 GDPR: you have the right to receive your personal data that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to request that it be transferred to another controller.
• Right to object – Art. 21 GDPR: you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data.
• Right to complain to a supervisory authority – Art. 77 GDPR: you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).

18. Contact persons for data protection: Who can I contact if I have questions about data protection?

For organisational reasons, we please contact the data protection department at Verian (formerly Kantar Public) first with your inquiries, preferably by e-mail. Verian will forward your inquiries to the BKA if necessary.

Verian Deutschland (registered as Mantle Germany GmbH)

Datenschutzbeauftragte

Landsberger Straße 284

D-80687 München

E-mail: lesubia@veriangroup.com

Tel.: 0800-1007752

(Study-specific hotline number: data protection enquiries are forwarded to the Verian (formerly Kantar Public) Data Protection Officer)

Questions about the results of the study

19. Results of the study: How can I get the results of the LeSuBiA study?

The results of the LeSuBiA study will be published free of charge here on the BKA website. This is expected to be in the summer of 2025.

Questions for those affected by crime

20. Those affected by a criminal offence: I have been affected by a criminal offence. What can I do?

If you or someone you know, family members, friends or acquaintances are/were affected by criminal offences, we recommend that you report the crime. Please contact the local police station (searchable at www.polizei.de).

Help especially for women: you can reach the Help Hotline Violence Against Women on 116 016 nationwide and at any time. The service is multilingual. With the help of translators, telephone counselling is possible in 18 foreign languages. Barrier-free access to information and counselling is also guaranteed. Calls and counselling are free of charge. The helpline provides advice on topics such as domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, digital violence, psychological violence, bullying in private and public spaces.

Help especially for men: you can reach the men’s support network at www.männerberatungsnetz.de. The men’s support network includes counselling services that specifically address men and are specialised in men’s concerns.

For further help, the online database for people affected by crime (ODABS) (www.odabs.org) provides an overview of support services in your area.

You can also contact the Help Organisation WEISSER RING under the telephone number 116 006. Counselling is free of charge and anonymous. Further information can also be found at www.weisser-ring.de.

 

If you have further questions about the study, you can find out more here. For personal queries, you will find the contact details here.