NCJ Number
144525
Date Published
1993
Length
52 pages
Annotation
Between 1973 and 1992, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) measured the amount and nature of crime by asking respondents whether they had been crime victims; survey findings showed that overall crime rates were stable or declined in the early 1990's.
Abstract
The NCVS found that violent crime rates for teenagers increased over the period, while rates for other age groups remained stable or declined. The violent crime rate for blacks in 1992 was the highest ever recorded. From 1973 to 1991, 36.6 million people were injured due to violent crime, including over 6 million who sustained serious injuries. In general, people were more likely to become violent crime victims than to be injured in motor vehicle accidents. One in four households was victimized by one or more crimes each year, and about half of all violent crimes and about a third of all crimes were reported to the police. Teenagers and young adults consistently had the highest victimization rates. Handguns were used in about 10 percent of all violent crimes. In 1991, personal and household crimes resulted in an estimated $19.1 billion in losses. The average dollar loss per crime increased from $142 in 1975 to $550 in 1991, a substantial increase even when adjusted for inflation. About 9 percent of violent victimizations involved series crimes in which the victim experienced three or more similar victimizations within a 6-month period. Males were much more likely to be victimized by strangers than by family members or other intimates. Females were as likely to be victims of violence by intimates as they were by strangers. About 30 percent of violent crimes and 25 percent of burglaries occurred when the victim was engaged in leisure activity away from home. Statistics are tabulated on rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Data are also provided on crime consequences, victims, offenders, school crime, and victim protective measures. Facts about the NCVS and its redesign are included, and an appendix contains supplemental information on survey procedures. References, tables, and figures