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Crime facts
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Crime characteristics
Summary
findings | BJS publications | Selected
statistics | Also by BJS staff | Related sites
Summary findings
- Violent
Crime
- Trends
| Victim/offender relationship | Intimate violence
Time
|
Place | Weapon use |
Role of alcohol
- Property
Crime
- Trends
| Homeownership| Region
| Urban, suburban, rural
Violent
Crime
Violent crime includes murder, rape and sexual assault,
robbery, and assault.
Trends
Since 1994, violent crime rates have declined, reaching
the lowest level ever recorded in 2005.
See trends for Murder,
Rape, Robbery,
Assault
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Victim/offender relationship
Males were more likely to be violently victimized by a stranger than a
nonstranger, and females were more likely to be victimized by a friend,
an acquaintance, or an intimate.
During 2005 --
- About seven in ten female rape or sexual assault victims stated
the offender was an intimate, other relative, a friend or an acquaintance.
- Seventy-four percent of males and 48% of females stated the individual(s)
who robbed them was a stranger.
Intimates were identified by the victims of workplace violence as the perpetrator
in about 1% of all workplace violent crime. About 40% of the victims
of nonfatal violence in the workplace reported that they knew their
offender.
For murder victims, 43% were related to or acquainted with their assailants;
14% of victims were murdered by strangers, while 43% of victims had
an unknown relationship to their murderer in 2002.
Two thirds of murders of children under the age of 5
were committed by a parent or other family member.
Intimate
violence
- About 1 in 320 households were affected by intimate partner violence.
- Female victims are more likely to be victimized by intimates than
male victims. In 2005, of offenders victimizing females, 18%
were described as intimates and 34% as strangers. By contrast, of
offenders victimizing males, 3% were described as intimates
and 54% as strangers.
- The rate of nonfatal intimate violence against females declined
by nearly half between 1993 and 2001.
- Between 1976 and 2002, about 11% of murder victims were determined
to have been killed by an intimate.
- The sharpest decrease in number of intimate murders has been for
black male victims. An 81% percent decrease in the number of black
men murdered by intimates occurred between 1976 and 2002.
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Time of occurrence
In 2005 -
- 53% of incidents of violent crime occurred during the day between
6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Almost two-thirds of the rapes/sexual assaults occurred at night
from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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- Place
of occurrence
- Workplace
| School | Region | Urban,
suburban, rural
In 2005 -
- The location of about a quarter of incidents of violent crime was
at or near the victim's home. Among common locales for violent crimes
were on streets other than those near the victim's home (19%), at
school (12%), or at a commercial establishment (8%).
- For violent crime, about half occurred
within a mile from home and 76% within five miles. Only 4% of victims
of violent crime reported that the crime took place more than fifty
miles from their home.
- Of victims of violent crime, 22% were involved in some form of
leisure activity away from home at the time of their victimization,
22% said they were at home, and another 20% mentioned they were at
work or traveling to or from work when the crime occurred.
Workplace violence
Of selected occupations examined from 1993 to 1999, police officers were the most vulnerable to be victims of workplace violence, as well as correctional officers, taxicab drivers, private security workers, and bartenders.
While working or on duty, U.S. residents experienced 1.7 million violent victimizations annually from 1993 to 1999 including 1.3 million simple assaults, 325,000 aggravated assaults, 36,500 rapes and sexual assaults, 70,000 robberies, and 900 homicides. Workplace violence accounted for 18% of all violent crime between 1993 to 1999.
Police officers were victims of a nonfatal violent crime while they were working or on duty between 1993 to 1999 at a rate of 261 per 1,000 officers.
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School
violence
- The percentage of students ages 12 to 18 victimized by violence and theft at school decreased between 1995 and 2005, and remained unchanged between 2005 and 2007. In 1995 about 10 percent of students were victims of violence or theft, compared to 4 percent in 2005 and 2007.
- In every year from 1992 to 2006, students ages 12-18 were more likely to experience a serious violent crime away from school than at school.
- In 2007, about a third (32%) of public and private school students ages 12-18 reported that they have been bullied at school within the past six months.
- Among high school students in grades 9-12, about 12% said they got into a fight on school property in 2007.
- In 2007, 10% of male students and 5% of female student reported experiencing a threat or injury with a weapon on school property.
Region
Western and Midwestern residents were victims of violent crime overall
at similar rates, 2005.
In 2005 --
- 25 Westerners, 23 Midwesterners, 19 Southerners and 19 Northeasterners
per 1,000 were violent crime victims.
See also Homicide
Trends in the United States and Data
Online for characteristics of homicide victims by State and
large locality.
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Urban, suburban
and rural
Urban residents had the highest violent victimization rates, followed by suburban
resident rates. Rural residents had the lowest rates.
In 2005--
- Six urban residents, four suburban residents and four rural residents
per 1,000 were victims of an aggravated assault.
- Suburban and rural residents were victims of violence other than
rape/sexual assault at similar rates during 2005.
See also Homicide
Trends in the United States and Data
Online for characteristics of homicide victims by State and
large locality.
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Weapon
use
In 2005, 24% of the incidents of violent crime, a weapon
was present.
Offenders had or used a weapon in 48% of all robberies, compared with
22% of all aggravated assaults and 7% of all rapes/sexual assaults in
2005.
Homicides are most often committed with guns, especially handguns. In
2005, 55% of homicides were committed with handguns, 16% with other
guns, 14% with knives, 5% with blunt objects, and 11% with other weapons.
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The
role of alcohol in crime victimization
About 1 million violent
crimes occurred in 2002 in which victims perceived the offender to have
been drinking at the time of the offense. Among those victims who provided
information about the offender's use of alcohol, about 30% of the victimizations
involved an offender who had been drinking.
Two-thirds of victims who
suffered violence by an intimate (a current or former spouse, boyfriend,
or girlfriend) reported that alcohol had been a factor. Among spouse
victims, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved an offender
who had been drinking. By contrast, an estimated 31% of stranger victimizations
where the victim could determine the absence or presence of alcohol
were perceived to be alcohol-related.
For about 1 in 5 violent
victimizations involving perceived alcohol use by the offender, victims
also reported they believed the offender to have been using drugs as
well.
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Property
crime
Property crimes
include burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft.
- Trends
- Property crime rates continue to decline.
- See trends in
burglary, theft,
and motor vehicle theft.
Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters of
all crime in the United States.
Overall, in about 84% of all burglaries, the offender gained entry into
the victims residence or other building on the property.
In about 79% of all motor vehicle thefts, the vehicle was stolen.
Of the 13 million completed thefts of property in 2005, there were 4.1
million property thefts of less than $50, 4.7 million between $50 and
$249, and 3.2 million of $250 or more.
Home ownership
Property crime, regardless of the type, occurred more often to those living in rented property.
In 2005--
- Households in rented property experienced 192 property crimes per
1,000 households, while those that own their homes experienced 137
property crimes per 1,000 households.
- Households in rented property had more than twice the rate
of motor vehicle theft than those in owned property.
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Region
The Western portion of the nation experiences the highest rates of property
crime overall in the nation.
In 2005--
- Western households had higher rate motor vehicle theft of all regions.
To the top
Urban,
suburban and rural
Urban households
have historically been and continue to be the most vulnerable to property
crime, burglary, motor vehicle theft and theft in the United States.
In 2005--
- Urban households experienced overall property crime at rates
higher than those for suburban or rural households.
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BJS
publications
This list is in
order of the most recent publication first. Additional titles are listed
on other topical pages and a comprehensive list is contained on the BJS
publications page. To see a full abstract of a publication with
links to electronic versions of the publication, click on the title below.
Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2008, 4/09. Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. NCJ 226343
- Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007, 12/07. NCJ 219553
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2006, 12/06. NCJ 214262
Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2005, 11/05. NCJ 210697
Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2004, 11/04. NCJ 205290
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2003, 10/03. NCJ 201257
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2002, 11/02. NCJ 196753
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2001, 10/01. NCJ 190075
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2000, 10/00. NCJ 184176
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 1999, 9/99. NCJ 178906
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 1998, 10/98. NCJ 172215
Stalking Victimization in the United States, 1/09. Presents findings on nonfatal stalking victimization in the U.S., based on the largest data collection of such behavior to date. NCJ 224527
Criminal Victimization, 2007, 12/08. Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. NCJ 224390
- Criminal Victimization, 2006, 12/07. NCJ 219413
- Criminal Victimization, 2005, 9/06. NCJ 214644
- Criminal Victimization, 2004, 9/05. NCJ 210674
- Criminal Victimization, 2003, 9/04. NCJ 205455
- Criminal Victimization, 2002, 8/03. NCJ 199994
- Criminal Victimization, 2001: Changes 2000-2001 with Trends 1993-2001, 9/02. NCJ 194610
- Criminal Victimization, 2000: Changes 1999-2000 with Trends 1993-2000, 6/01. NCJ 187007
- Criminal Victimization, 1999: Changes 1998-99 with Trends 1993-99,
8/00. NCJ 182734
- Criminal Victimization, 1998: Changes 1997-98 with Trends 1993-98,
7/99. NCJ 176353
- Criminal Victimization, 1997: Changes 1996-97 with Trends 1993-97,
12/98. NCJ 173385
- Criminal Victimization, 1996: Changes 1995-96 with Trends 1993-96,
11/97. NCJ 165812
Cybercrime against Businesses, 2005, 9/08. Presents the nature and prevalence of computer security incidents among 7,818 businesses in 2005. This is the first report to provide data on monetary loss and system downtime resulting from cyber incidents. NCJ 221943
- Cybercrime against Businesses: Pilot Testing Results, 2001 Computer Security Survey, 3/04. NCJ 200639
Criminal
Victimization in the United States, Presents 110 tables with
detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS).
- In electronic only formats:
Statistical Tables
- 2006, 8/08. NCJ 223436
2005, 12/06. NCJ 215244
2004, 6/06. NCJ 213257
2003, 7/05. NCJ 207811
2002, 12/03. NCJ 200561
2001, 1/03. NCJ 197064
2000, 8/02. NCJ 188290
1999, 1/01. NCJ 184938
1998, 5/00. NCJ 181585
1997, 9/00. NCJ 174446
1996, 9/00. NCJ 174445
See the Table
index to find the right table in the electronic only collection.
- In printed and electronic formats:
- Criminal
Victimization in the United States 1995, 5/00. NCJ
171129
- Criminal Victimization in the United States 1994, 5/97.
NCJ 162126
- Criminal Victimization in the United States 1993, 5/96.
NCJ 151657
- Criminal Victimization in the
United States 1992, 5/95. NCJ 145125
Intimate Partner Violence in the United States, 12/07. This webpage examines fatal and non-fatal violence by intimates (current or former spouses, girlfriends, or boyfriends) since the redesign of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 1993. Data from 1993 to 2005 are examined in addition to aggregated data from 2001 to 2005. NCJ 210675
- In print and electronic formats:
- Intimate
Partner Violence, 1993-2001, 2/03. NCJ 197838
- Intimate Partner Violence, 5/00. NCJ 178247
Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007, 12/07. Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. NCJ 219553
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2006, 12/06. NCJ 214262
Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2005, 11/05. NCJ 210697
Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2004, 11/04. NCJ 205290
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2003, 10/03. NCJ 201257
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2002, 11/02. NCJ 196753
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2001, 10/01. NCJ 190075
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2000, 10/00. NCJ 184176
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 1999, 9/99. NCJ 178906
- Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 1998, 10/98. NCJ 172215
Identity Theft, 2005, 11/07. Presents data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on identity theft victimization and its consequences. NCJ 219411
-
Identity Theft, 2004, 04/06. NCJ 212213
Black Victims of Violent Crime, 8/07. Presents findings about violent crime experienced by non-Hispanic blacks. NCJ 214258
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2005, 4/07. Presents national estimates of the percentage of households that experienced one or more violent or property crimes in 2005 as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey. NCJ 217198
- Crime and the Nation's Households, 2004, 04/06. NCJ 211511
- Crime and the Nation's Households, 2003, 10/04. NCJ 206348
- Crime and the Nation's Households, 2002, 2/04. NCJ 201797
-
Crime and the Nation's Households, 2000 with Trends 1994-2000, 09/02. NCJ 194107
-
Crime and the Nation's Households, 1992, 9/93 . NCJ 143288
Hate
Crimes Reported by Victims and Police, 11/05. Provides information on the number of hate crimes reported to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and their characteristics. NCJ 209911
Violence by Gang Members, 1993-2003 06/05. Provides estimates of the number and rate of violent crimes committed by offenders that victims perceived to be members of gangs based on National Crime Victimization Survey data. NCJ 208875
Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances, 6/05. Compares family and nonfamily violence statistics from victimization through the different stages of the justice system. NCJ 207846
Violent Victimization of College Students, 1995-2002, 1/05. Examines the incidence of college student victimization and compares the findings to persons of similar ages in the general population. NCJ 206836
- Violent Victimization of College Students, 12/03. NCJ 196143
Homicide Trends in the United States:
2002 Update, 11/04. Outlines the primary findings from the
section of the BJS website about homicide patterns and trends since 1976
(www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm). NCJ 204885
- In print and electronic formats:
- Homicide Trends in the United
States: 2000 Update, 1/03 . NCJ 197471
Homicide Trends in the United
States: 1998 Update, 3/00. NCJ 179767
- Homicide Trends in the United
States, 1/99. NCJ 173956
Carjacking, 1993-2002, 07/04. Presents data for carjackings that occurred in the United States between 1993 and 2002. NCJ 205123
-
Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96, 3/99. NCJ 171145
-
Carjacking, 3/94. NCJ 147002
Weapon Use and Violent Crime, 1993-2001,
9/03. Discusses the nature and prevalence of violent crime by armed offenders, and the consequences to the victims, age 12 or older, from 1993 through 2001. NCJ 194820
Reporting Crime to the Police, 03/03. Presents National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data from 1992 to 2000 on non-lethal crimes against persons age 12 or older that were reported to police. NCJ 195710
Third-Party Involvement in Violent Crime, 1993-99,
7/02. Presents detailed information about third-party involvement in violent crime, using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). NCJ 189100
Violence in the Workplace, 1993-99, 12/01. Presents data for 1993 through 1999 from the National Crime Victimization Survey estimating the extent of
workplace crime in the United States. NCJ 190076
- Other publications
on this topic:
Workplace
Violence, 1992-96, 7/98. NCJ 168634
Violence and Theft in the Workplace, 7/94. NCJ 148199
Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, 10/01. Provides estimates of violence by intimates (current or former spouses, girlfriends, and boyfriends) with an emphasis on the victim's age using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), 1993-99. NCJ 187635
Hate Crimes Reported in NIBRS, 1997-99, 9/01. Utilizes data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting Program (NIBRS) to describe hate crimes reported to law enforcement in NIBRS-participating jurisdictions, between 1997 and 1999. NCJ 186765
Injuries
from Violent Crime, 1992-98, 6/01. Presents data from the
redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey, examining injuries as
a result of violent victimizations. NCJ 168633
Policing and Homicide, 1976-98: Justifiable Homicide of Felons by Police and Murder of Police by Felons, 03/01. Presents annual trends from 1976 to 1998 in two types of homicide: justifiable homicides of felons by police, and murders of police officers by felons. NCJ 180987
Violent Victimization and Race, 1993-98, 3/01. Presents incidence estimates and per capita rates of violent victimization of whites, blacks, American Indians and Asians in 1998, and includes victimization trends, 1993-98. NCJ 176354
Sexual Victimization of College Women, 1/01. A joint report from BJS and the National Institute of Justice which explores the prevalence and nature of sexual assault occurring at colleges throughout the nation. NCJ 182369
Urban,
Suburban, and Rural Victimization, 1993-98, 10/00 Examines
the extent of criminal victimization in urban, suburban, and rural areas
using 1993 to 1998 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data. NCJ
182031
Firearm Injury and Death from Crime,
1993-97 10/00
Reports on the incidence of fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries that result
from crime. Most of the data presented are from the FBI’s Supplementary
Homicide Reports and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vital
Statistics and the Firearms Injury Surveillance Study which collects data
on injuries treated in hospital emergency departments. NCJ 182993
Sexual
Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident,
and Offender Characteristics 7/00. Presents findings from the
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) regarding sexual assault,
especially of young children. NCJ 182990
Criminal
Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998,
6/99. Presents survey data from 12 cities regarding criminal victimization
and residents' attitudes toward their neighborhood, their city, and the
local policing services. NCJ 173940
Perceptions
of Neighborhood Crime, 1995, 5/98. Presents data from the
American Housing Survey (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
and the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) about how residents
perceive crime in their neighborhoods and their relative likelihood of
victimization. NCJ 165811
Students' Report of School Crime: 1989 and 1995, 4/98. Compares
findings from the 1989 and 1995 School Crime Supplements to the BJS National
Crime Victimization Survey, discussing student reports of victimization,
drug availability, street gang presence, and gun presence at school. NCJ
169607
Alcohol and Crime, 4/98. Provides an overview of national
information on the role of alcohol in violent victimization and its use
among those convicted of crimes, including victim perceptions of alcohol
use by offenders at the time of the crime. NCJ 168632
Violence by Intimates, 3/98. Reports findings about violence
between people who have an intimate relationship -- spouses, exspouses,
boyfriends, girlfriends, and former boyfriends and girlfriends from statistical
data maintained by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation. NCJ 167237
Sex Differences in Violent Victimization, 1994, 9/97. Contains
detailed information about specific violent crime types and contextual
characteristics of violence against both women and men and their relationship
to those who victimize them. NCJ 164508
Violence-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments,
8/97. Presents findings from a study of violence related-injuries treated
in hospital emergency departments in 1994. The study was conducted using
the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance
System (NEISS) program. NCJ 156921
Sex Offenses and Offenders 2/97. Reports on more
than two dozen statistical datasets maintained by the Bureau of Justice
Statistics and on data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program
of the FBI to provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge about
the incidence and prevalence of violent victimization by sexual assault,
the response of the criminal justice system to such crimes, and the characteristics
of those who commit sexual assault or rape. NCJ 163392
Domestic
and Sexual Violence Data Collection: A Report to Congress Under the Violence
Against Women Act, 7/96. Reports how States and the Federal
government collect data on the incidence of sexual and domestic violence
offenses. NCJ 161405
Violence between Intimates, 11/94. Using data from a variety of
sources, this report examines murders, rapes, robberies, and assaults
committed by spouses, ex-spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends. NCJ 149259
Murder in Families, 7/94. This BJS Special Report is a survey of murder cases disposed in 1988 in the courts of large urban counties.
NCJ 143498
Crime and Neighborhoods , 7/94. Compares victimization levels
and perceptions of neighborhood crime for the nation's households using
data from a variety of sources. NCJ 147005
Guns and Crime: Handgun Victimization, Firearm Self-Defense, and Firearm
Theft, 5/94. Provides estimates of the extent of handgun crime
in the United States through 1992, as well as estimates from the National
Crime Victimization Survey of thefts of firearms and the extent of firearm
use for self-defense. NCJ 147003
Violent Crime, 4/94. Summarizes 1973-92 trends in rape, robbery,
and assault from the National Crime Victimization Survey; homicide data
from Vital Statistics of the United States, National Center for
Health Statistics; and 1992 murder data from the FBI Uniform Crime
Reports. NCJ 147486
The
Costs of Crime to Victims, 2/94. Provides information on
both the overall and the average cost of crime to victims. NCJ 145865
School
Crime 1991, 9/91. Analyzes the experiences of U.S. students in
grades 6-12 regarding crime victimization at school, the availability
of illicit substances, gang presence, fear of crime, and school security
measures. NCJ 131645
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Criminal Victimization in the United States
- Statistical Tables
in spreadsheet and portable document format files. Subjects include:
- Demography of victims
- Victims and offenders
- Geography
- The crime event
- Victims and the criminal justice system
- Series victimization
1996-2006 data are currently available, 8/08
To find tables using keywords, see the Table index.
See Data Online for State and local
data on crime trends and homicide trends and victim characteristics
To the top
Greenfeld, Lawrence
A., and Maureen A. Henneberg, "Victim and Offender Self-Reports of Alcohol Involvement in Crime," (pdf file), Alcohol Research and Health, Journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Volume 25, Number 1, 2001
From BJS
Other relevant
sites
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