Presents the 1998 findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Violent crime rates declined 7%, and property crime rates fell 12% from 1997 to 1998. The 1998 rates are the lowest recorded since the survey's inception in 1973. This report also summarizes other findings, including the characteristics of victims, and examines trends in victimization rates from 1993 to 1998.
The NCVS is an ongoing survey of households that each year interviews about 80,000 persons in 43,000 households. Violent crimes included in the report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault (from the NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI's UCR program). Property crimes include burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and thefts of other property. The findings are based on a redesigned NCVS that was phased in beginning in 1992.