U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Selected Findings from Bureau of Justice Statistics
Violent Crime: National Crime Victimization Survey
April 1994, NCJ-147486
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During the last 20 years, victims have described more than 119 million
violent victimizations of rape, robbery, or assault in interviews for
the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The Bureau of Justice
Statistics sponsors this continuous household survey as the only
national effort to provide accurate measures of crimes of violence and
theft, both those not reported to law enforcement and those reported.
The survey samples 43,000 U.S. households and 100,000 persons age 12
or older. It reports on attempted as well as completed crimes.
The NCVS does not include homicide. However, two other national
sources of data about murder exist: The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting
(UCR) Program and the Vital Statistics of the United States collected
by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
How much violent crime is there in the United States?
*In 1992, there were 6.6 million violent victimizations, including
141,000 rapes, 1.2 million robberies, and 5.3 million assaults.
*4.9 million households, or 5% of all households, had a member
victimized by violence during 1992.
*Americans have a greater chance of being a violent crime victim than
of being injured in a motor vehicle accident.
What are the trends in violent crime?
*1992 NCVS violent crime rates were unchanged from 1991 and are 9%
below 1981, the peak year. The rates declined, in part because older
persons, who experience less violent crime than younger persons,
comprise an increasing proportion of the population.
*The percentage of households with a member who had been a victim of
violence (other than homicide) in 1992, 5%, was the lowest recorded
since 1975, when these estimates were first available.
*For some segments of the population crime is not decreasing; in 1992
the violent crime rate for blacks was the highest ever recorded in the
NCVS.
*Young people age 16-24 consistently have the highest violent crime
rates. Trends in these age groups vary from year to year but the
overall trend has been increasing. The rate for those age 12-15 was
the highest ever in 1992; it was the highest ever for those age 16-19
in 1991.
Who are the victims of violent crime?
*Teenage black males have the highest victimization rate (113 per
1,000 in 1992) while elderly white females have the lowest rate (3 per
1,000). Teenagers in general have very high rates; 90 per 1,000 for
teenage white males, 55 per 1,000 for teenage white females, and 94
per 1,000 for teenage black females.
How does violence affect women?
*More than 2.5 million women experience violence annually.
*Men have higher rates overall than women (40 per 1,000 for men; 25
per 1,000 for women). However, violence against males has decreased
since 1973, while the rates for females have remained relatively
constant.
*Women are about equally as likely to be victimized by an intimate or
a relative, by an acquaintance, or by a stranger.
*Men are far more likely to be victimized by a stranger or
acquaintance. A third of all violent victimizations of women but a
twentieth of all violent victimizations of men are committed by a
relative or intimate.
*In about 1 in 4 attacks on females, the offender used a weapon.
About 1 in 3 of these weapons was a firearm.
How does violent crime affect its victims?
*The proportion of victimizations that resulted in injuries to victims
increased by 10% between 1973 and 1991.
*On average, 2.2 million crime victims are injured each year.
*Of victims of violent crime who are injured, 51% require some medical
attention; 19% are treated at an emergency room and released within a
day; and 4% require hospitalization of more than 1 night.
*Crime-related injuries account for more than 700,000 days of
hospitalization annually--the equivalent to about 30% of the hospital
days for traffic accident injuries and just over 1% of the days for
treatment of heart disease.
*Hospitalized crime victims remain in the hospital for an average of 9
days, about the same length of stay as that of patients undergoing
cancer treatment and 2 days longer than the hospitalization of those
injured in traffic accidents or receiving treatment for heart disease.
*In 1992, about 3 out of 10 victims who were injured did not have
health insurance and were not eligible for public medical services.
*Of violent crime victims, 8% lost time from work. (All victims of
crime, including property crime, lost more than 6.1 million days from
work as a result of crime.)
Homicide was the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans in 1991
According to the Vital Statistics of the United States--
*For blacks of all ages, homicide was the fourth leading cause of
death, but for black males and females age 15-24, homicide was the
leading cause of death.
*For whites age 15-24, homicide was the third leading cause of death,
exceeded only by accidents and suicide.
In 1991, most homicide victims were male and most were between ages 15
and 44. The black victims represented almost half of all victims.
Percent of homicide victims
All 100%
Age
1-4 2%
5-14 2
15-24 31
25-44 47
45 or over 19
Sex
Male 78%
Female 22
Sex and race
Black male 40%
White male 36
White female 12
Black female 9
*Black males had the highest homicide rates (72 per 100,000
population), followed by black females (14 per 100,000), white males
(9 per 100,000), and white females (3 per 100,000).
*For all age groups, black males age 15-24 had the highest homicide
rate (159 per 100,000 population).
Over 68% of the murders in 1992 were committed with firearms
According to the FBI, 23,760 murders were reported by law enforcement
agencies in 1992. Handguns killed 55% of the murder victims. Knives
or cutting instruments were used to kill almost 15% of the murder
victims.
When the circumstances surrounding the murder were known, 30% resulted
from the commission of another crime such as robbery, burglary, or
narcotic drug law violations. Forty percent of the murders resulted
from arguments. Male murder victims were more likely than female
victims to have been killed during the commission of a felony.
In murders where the relationship between the victim and the offender
was known, 44% of the victims were killed by an acquaintance, 22% by a
stranger, and 20% by a family member. The victim was the wife or
girlfriend of the murderer in 11% of the homicides. Half of the
murders by strangers were committed during the commission of a felony.
Homicide data were reported on 25,180 offenders in 1992. Of these
offenders for whom sex, age and race were reported--
*90% were male
*50% were age 15-24
*55% were black.
What are the economic costs of violent crime?
*Victims of violent crime lost $1.4 billion dollars in 1992 in direct
costs including medical expenses, time lost from work, and activities
related to the crime, such as going to court.
*Violent crime victims suffered some economic loss in 23% of the
victimizations.
*Victims lost an average of $206 per violent crime in 1992.
*In 1992, of victims of robbery who had an economic loss, blacks were
more likely than whites to lose $250 or more: about 4 in 10 robberies
of blacks compared to 2 in 10 robberies of whites resulted in a loss
of $250 or more.
Where does violent crime occur?
*Central cities, particularly those with populations between 250,000
and 499,999, have the highest per capita rates of violent crime.
*Nearly a quarter of all violent crimes occur either in the home (12%
of all violent victimizations) or at school (12%). Thirty percent of
all violent crimes occur on the street or in an open area, 7% near
home, 7% at a relative's or acquaintance's home, and 5% in a club,
bar, or restaurant.
*In 1992, residents of the Western States had the highest per capita
rates of violent victimization and those in the Northeast had the
lowest.
Who commits violent crimes?
*In 1992, strangers committed 54% of violent crimes, persons well
known to the victims 20%, casual acquaintances 12%, and relatives 7%.
*Victims of violence in 1992 report that about 33% of offenders were
less than 21 years old, about 86% were male, and 29% were black.
About a third of the victims reported that they were attacked by
multiple offenders.
*Victims report that in most violent crimes, the victim and the
offender were of the same race. In 1992, in 73% of the violent crimes
against whites, the offender was also white; in 84% of violent crimes
against blacks, the offender was black.
*About a third of victims of violence perceived the offender to have
been using drugs or alcohol or both at the time of the offense.
How often are weapons used in violent crime?
*Handguns are used in about 10% of all violent crimes.
*Since 1988, handgun crime rates have risen. In 1992, the handgun
crime rate, 4.3 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, was at the highest
rate ever recorded, surpassing the previous high of 4.0 reached in
1982.
*One in every five rapes and over half of all robberies involve a
weapon. When some type of weapon is used, it is a handgun in slightly
more than 1 in 3 rapes and 4 in 10 robberies.
*Strangers are more likely than nonstrangers to use firearms.
Nonstrangers are somewhat more likely than strangers to use a knife.
*Four out of five violent incidents with firearms involve a handgun.
How do victims protect themselves?
*Victims take some type of measure to protect themselves in 71% of all
violent victimizations.
*Men and women were about equally likely to take some kind of
self-protective action. Men were more than twice as likely as female
victims of violence to attack the offender, while women were more than
twice as likely as male victims of violence to scream or give an alarm
*Of those self-protective actions taken, about 2% involved the use of
a weapon by the victim.
To what extent are crimes reported to police, and what is the police
response?
*In 1992, 50% of all crimes of violence were reported to police,
including 53% of rapes, 51% of robberies, 62% of aggravated assaults,
and 43% of simple assaults.
*The most common reasons for not reporting violent crimes were that
the victim viewed it as a private or personal matter (22%), the
offender was not successful (18%), or the victim felt that the police
would not want to be bothered or there was lack of proof (14%).
*When crimes of violence were reported to police, police arrived
within 10 minutes in 56% of victimizations and within an hour in 89%.
An additional 4% of victims said they did not know how long it took
police to come.
Violent victimization rate, by age and race of victim, 1973-92
Number of rapes, robberies, or assaults per 1,000 persons
Ages Race
65 or
Year 12-15 16-19 20-24 25-34 35-49 50-64 over White Black
1973 55.6 61.4 64.3 34.6 21.6 13.1 8.5 31.6 41.7
1974 52.7 68.0 61.3 38.7 20.9 11.8 9.0 31.9 40.7
1975 54.6 64.4 59.4 39.3 20.5 13.5 7.8 31.6 42.9
1976 52.0 66.7 58.5 40.6 20.0 12.2 7.6 31.1 44.4
1977 56.5 67.7 63.3 41.9 19.9 12.8 7.5 33.0 41.9
1978 57.0 68.9 66.9 39.9 19.9 11.4 7.9 33.0 40.6
1979 53.4 70.2 72.2 43.8 21.3 10.3 5.9 33.6 41.6
1980 49.5 68.7 68.7 39.8 21.1 11.8 6.8 32.2 40.6
1981 58.9 67.8 68.3 43.7 23.3 13.2 7.8 33.4 49.7
1982 52.0 71.2 68.6 46.0 21.5 10.5 5.7 33.2 43.7
1983 51.3 64.8 60.1 41.1 20.4 9.0 5.5 29.9 40.6
1984 53.2 67.9 65.4 38.0 21.4 10.1 4.9 30.2 41.6
1985 54.1 67.2 60.2 37.4 19.9 9.9 4.5 29.1 38.2
1986 52.4 60.7 58.8 34.3 20.0 8.2 4.5 27.5 33.4
1987 59.3 69.4 62.8 34.3 19.3 8.6 4.9 27.7 42.1
1988 56.9 72.0 58.9 35.2 21.8 10.2 4.1 28.2 40.4
1989 62.9 73.8 57.8 34.9 20.8 7.9 3.9 28.2 36.0
1990 68.8 74.4 63.1 36.4 19.2 7.5 3.5 28.2 39.7
1991 64.3 92.1 76.0 35.9 20.8 9.5 3.7 30.5 45.7
1992 75.9 77.9 70.1 37.6 21.2 10.0 4.8 29.9 50.4
Sources: BJS, Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992,
March 1994, NCJ-145125.
BJS, Highlights from 20 Years of Surveying Crime Victims: The
National Crime Victimization Survey, 1973-92, November 1993,
NCJ-144525.
BJS, Violence Against Women, January 1994, NCJ-145325.
BJS Bulletin, Crime and the Nation's Households,1992, August 1993,
NCJ-143288.
FBI, Crime in the United States, 1992, October 3, 1993.
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention,
"Advance Report of Final Mortality Statistics, 1991,"
Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 42, No. 2, Supplement,
August 31, 1993.
In 1980, the homicide rate was at the highest level recorded this
century
Source: Vital Statistics of the United States, National Center for
Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Department of Health and Human Services.
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Bureau of Justice Statistics
Selected Findings
The violent crime rate in 1992 was lower than in the early 1980's
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
April 1994, NCJ-147486
Violent Crime
Violent crime rates for the youngest age groups are increasing
In 1992, the violent crime rate for black victims
reached the highest level ever recorded
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