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National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

Data Collection Status
Active
Frequency
Annual
Latest Data Available
2023
Data Experts
Rachel Morgan, PhD, BJS Statistician
Rebecca Bielamowicz, PhD, BJS Statistician
Emilie Coen, DrPH, BJS Statistician
Erika Harrell, PhD, BJS Statistician
Susannah Tapp, PhD, BJS Statistician
Alexandra Thompson, BJS Statistician
Erin Tinney, PhD, BJS Statistician
Jennifer Truman, PhD, BJS Statistician
Collection Period

1973-2023

Description

The BJS National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization. Each year, data are obtained from a nationally representative sample of about 240,000 persons in about 150,000 households. Persons are interviewed on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States. The NCVS collects information on nonfatal personal crimes (i.e., rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault, and personal larceny) and household property crimes (i.e., burglary/trespassing, motor vehicle theft, and other types of theft) both reported and not reported to the police. Survey respondents provide information about themselves (e.g., age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, education level, and income) and whether they experienced a victimization. For each victimization incident, the NCVS collects information about the offender (e.g., age, race and Hispanic origin, sex, and victim-offender relationship), characteristics of the crime (e.g., time and place of occurrence, use of weapons, nature of the injury, and economic consequences), whether the crime was reported to police, reasons the crime was or was not reported, and victim experiences with the criminal justice system.

 

 

Date Created: May 18, 2009