U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin Criminal Victimization 1994: National Crime Victimization Survey April 1996, NCJ-151657 This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#ncvs The full text of this report is available through: *the BJS Clearinghouse, 1-800-732-3277 *on the Internet at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ *on the BJS gopher: gopher://www.ojp.usdoj.gov:70/11/bjs/ *on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Electronic Bulletin Board (set at 8-N-1, call 301-738-8895, select BJS). By Craig Perkins Patsy Klaus BJS Statisticians ----------- Highlights ----------- *In 1994 for every 1,000 persons age 12 or older, there occurred: --2 rapes or attempted rapes --3 assaults with serious injury --4 robberies with property taken. *The violent crime rate has been essentially unchanged since 1992, following a slight increase between 1985 and 1991. Property crime continued a 15-year decline. *The young, blacks, and males were most vulnerable to violent crime: --1 in 9 persons age 12 to 15, compared to 1 in 196 age 65 or more --1 in 16 blacks, compared to 1 in 20 whites --1 in 17 males, compared to 1 in 24 females *Compared to those households with annual incomes of $15,000 or more, persons in households with incomes of less than $15,000 were: --3 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted --2 times more likely to be robbed --1 1/2 times more likely to be a victim of an aggravated assault. *Almost two-thirds of victims of completed rapes did not report the crime to the police. *Two-thirds of victims of rape or sexual assault knew their assailants. *A third of robbery victims were injured as a result of the incident. In 1994 U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced approximately 42.4 million crimes. Thirty-one million (73%) were property crimes, 10.9 million (26%) were crimes of violence, and approximately a half million (1%) were personal thefts. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicates there were 51 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older and 308 property crimes per 1,000 households. The National Crime Victimization Survey measures personal and household offenses, including crimes not reported to police, by interviewing all occupants age 12 or older in a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Violent crimes include rape/sexual assault, robbery, and both aggravated and simple assault, as measured by the NCVS, and murders from FBI data on homicides reported to the police (see "Murder in the U.S., 1994" below). Pocket picking, purse snatching, and attempted purse snatching comprise personal theft. Property crimes consist of household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and thefts of other property. ------------------------------------- 10.9 million violent crimes in 1994 ------------------------------------- The 10.9 million violent victimizations included: 430 thousand rapes/sexual assaults, 1.3 million robberies, over 2.5 million aggravated assaults, and 6.6 million simple assaults. FBI data indicated 23,305 homicides and nonnegligent manslaughters were reported to police during 1994 (see "Murder in the U.S., 1994," below). In terms of crime rates, for every 1,000 persons age 12 or older, there were 51 victims of violence, including: --1 sexual assault, --2 rapes or attempted rapes per 1,000, --6 completed or attempted robberies, --12 aggravated assaults, and --31 simple assaults. Murders were the least frequent violent victimization -- about 9 murder victims per 100,000 persons. Attempted violent crimes accounted for 71% (7.7 million) of the 10.9 million crimes of violence. Attempted violent crimes included attempted rapes, attempted robberies, and attempted or threatened violence -- including threats with weapons. Almost a quarter (2.7 million) of all violent victimizations resulted in an injury to the victim. Minor injuries include bruises, black eyes, or broken teeth. Rape, gun shot or knife wounds, or other injuries requiring hospitalization constitute serious harm. In 1994 a third of all robberies resulted in an injury to the victim. In 36% of completed and 24% of attempted robberies the victim sustained an injury. There was little or no change between 1993 and 1994 in most NCVS measured crimes. Comparisons between these years are discussed in more detail on page 5. -------------------------------------------------- 31 million burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and household thefts -------------------------------------------------- In 1994 the NCVS measured 31 million household burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and thefts of other property, accounting for 73% of the more than 42 million victimizations. During the year, households experienced 1.8 million motor vehicle thefts, 5.5 million household burglaries, and 23.8 million thefts of other property. Of the almost 5.5 million household burglaries, 4.6 million, or 83%, were completed burglaries. In the remaining 0.9 million (17%), the offender attempted forcible entry. In a third of the completed burglaries, the burglar forced entry into the home; in two-thirds, the burglar gained entry through an unlocked door or open window. Of the 22.7 million completed thefts of property, there were 9.4 million (41%) property thefts of less than $50, 7.9 million (35%) between $50 and $249, 4.3 million (19%) of $250 or more, and 1.2 million (5%) in which the property value was not known. Expressed as rates per 1,000 households, there were 54 burglaries, 18 motor vehicle thefts, and 236 property thefts. ---------------------------------- Murder in the United States, 1994 ---------------------------------- In its annual compilation of local police agency statistics for 1994, the FBI reported 23,305 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters -- a 5% decrease from the previous year. The national murder rate was 9 per 100,000 inhabitants. In its annual report Crime in the United States, the FBI defines murder as the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another. The incidence of murder varies by U.S. region, and characteristics of murder victims vary according to sex, race, and age. The South and the West, with 56% of the population, accounted for almost 66% of all homicides Percent -------------------- U.S. Region Homicides population ---------------------------------------------- Total 100% 100% South 42 35 West 23 21 Midwest 20 24 Northeast 16 20 Supplemental demographic information was available for 22,076 murder victims. About 51% of these victims were black, 46% were white, and the remainder were Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. Victims were likely to be male and relatively young: 78% were male and 65% were under age 35. About 11% were under age 18. Forty-seven percent of murder victims were related to or acquainted with their assailants; 13% of victims were murdered by strangers, while 40% of victims had an unknown relationship to their murderer. Husbands or boyfriends killed 28% of female murder victims; wives or girlfriends, 3% of male victims. ------------------------------------------ Victimizations reported to law enforcement authorities ------------------------------------------ Overall, 42% of the violent crimes committed in 1994 were reported to police. Thirty-six percent of rapes, 20% of attempted rapes, and 41% of sexual assaults were brought to the attention of law enforcement authorities. Fifty-five percent of robberies, 52% of aggravated assaults, and 36% of simple assaults were reported to police. Victims reported approximately a third of all property crimes. Motor vehicle theft was the most frequently reported property crime (78%), and theft of other property the least reported crime (27%). The 1994 data indicated patterns in reporting to police. For example, victims were more likely to report incidents to police where: --violent crimes were completed --an injury resulted --items valued at $250 or more were stolen --forcible entry occurred. Victims cite many reasons for deciding whether or not to report particular crimes to law enforcement authorities.* (For analysis of reasons why victims reported or did not report crimes, see Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1993, BJS, NCJ-15157.) Victims of violent incidents most often cite as a reason for reporting the crime to the police the desire to prevent future acts of violence. Victims also reported incidents because they thought it was the right thing to do. Among victims who chose not to report a violent crime to the police, many indicated that they felt the matter was private or personal in nature. Victims of personal and property thefts frequently reported the incidents to enable recovery of their stolen property and to collect insurance, or chose not to report because they had been able to recover their property or because the theft attempt had been unsuccessful. --------------------------------------- Characteristics of victims of violence --------------------------------------- Males, blacks, Hispanics, the young, the poor, and inner city dwellers were the most vulnerable to violence. Except for rape/sexual assault, every violent crime victimization rate for males was higher than for females. Males were about twice as likely as females to experience robbery and aggravated assault. However, there were 4 rapes or sexual assaults per 1,000 females age 12 or older compared to 0.2 rapes per 1,000 males. Blacks were more likely than whites or persons of other races -- Asians or Native Americans -- to be victims of robbery or aggravated assault. In 1994 there were 16.6 aggravated assaults per 1,000 black persons, 10.9 per 1,000 whites, and 11.9 per 1,000 persons in other racial categories. The victimization rates for rape/sexual assault were not significantly different among the three racial groups. Persons under age 25 had higher violent victimization rates than those 65 or older. Persons age 16 to 19 were about 30 times more likely than persons age 65 or older to be victimized by assault. Hispanics had higher violent crime rates than Non-Hispanics. Persons from households with lower incomes were more vulnerable to violent crime than those from higher income households. Persons with household incomes of less than $15,000 per year had significantly higher violent crime rates for all categories of violent crime when compared with those who had household incomes of $15,000 or more per year. Rates per 1,000 persons age 12 or older ------------------------- Annual Annual household household income income of less than of $15,000 Type of crime $15,000 or more --------------------------------------------- Violent crime 68.6 46.9 Rape/sexual assault 4.7 1.3 Robbery 8.7 4.9 Aggravated assault 16.5 10.6 Simple assault 38.8 30.2 ----------------------------------------------- Higher property crime victimization rates: households of blacks,Hispanics, the poor, urban dwellers, and renters ----------------------------------------------- Minorities, urban dwellers, and those who rent their homes experienced the highest rates of property crime. The impact of income varied, depending on the type of property crime. Black households suffered higher rates of property victimization for all property crime than did white households (341 versus 302 per 1,000 households, respectively). Hispanic households had a significantly higher rate of property crime victimization than non-Hispanics (426 incidents per 1,000 households versus 298, respectively). Households earning $50,000 or more annually had a theft rate 50% higher than those households earning less than $7,500 annually. Households earning under $7,500 a year suffered almost twice the rate of household burglary compared to those with the highest annual earnings. City residents experienced higher rates of property crime (376 per 1,000 households) than either suburban residents (296) or rural area dwellers (246). Renters had significantly higher property crime rates than home owners. -------------- Recent trends -------------- Between 1993 and 1994 there were no changes in violent crimes measured by NCVS, except for a decline in sexual assault. While sexual assault decreased, the overall rape/sexual assault category showed no change. Motor vehicle theft and property theft rates showed statistically significant declines between 1993 and 1994. There was some evidence of declines in the rates and levels of overall property crimes, household burglary, attempted forcible entry, and attempted theft. Since its inception in 1973, the survey has identified fluctuations in crime levels and rates over extended periods. Because of the survey design, the data presented in this bulletin are not directly comparable with data collected prior to 1993. While some crimes exhibit short-term changes that differ from previous longer-term trends, many patterns discernible for 1992-94 continue general trends in crime rates that existed during previous years. Violent crime rates generally declined from 1981 to 1986 (a drop of 20%), and then rose from 1986 to 1991 (up 15%). Since 1992, violent crime victimization rates have remained generally stable. Both victimization levels and rates show little change in 1992, 1993, and 1994. Robbery rates increased slightly during the late 1980's, but never reached the peak rates experienced earlier in the decade. Since 1992 the robbery rate has remained unchanged. Aggravated assault levels have shown yearly fluctuations but the overall trend was slightly downward from 1974 to 1991. Neither the increase in aggravated assault from 1992 to 1993 nor the decrease from 1993 to 1994 is statistically significant. Theft rates declined slightly in 1994 from the previous year, continuing a steady decrease that has persisted since 1979. Burglary rates continued a downward trend that has existed since the survey began in 1973. Motor vehicle theft rates steadily increased for several years beginning in the mid-1980's. There is some evidence of a decline in the motor vehicle theft rate from 1993 to 1994. Except for an increase in reporting of sexual assault and theft, there were no statistically significant changes in reporting of crimes to police between 1993 and 1994. ----------------- Juvenile victims ----------------- Teenagers and young adults were more likely to become victims of violent crime than older persons. In 1994, about a third of all victims of violent crime were ages 12 to 19. Almost half of all victims of violence were under age 25. In the same year, there were 111 rapes/sexual assaults, robberies, or aggravated or simple assaults for every 1,000 persons under age 25. This rate was more than twice as high as that for persons between ages 25 and 49 and about 11 times as high as that for persons age 50 or older. While making up 23% of the population age 12 or older, persons from 12 to 24 were victims of almost half of all violent crime Percent of Percent of population violent Victim's age 12 or older victimizations ----------------------------------------------- Total 100% 100% 12 to 15 7 16 16 to 19 7 16 20 to 24 8 17 25 to 34 20 23 35 to 49 28 21 50 to 64 16 5 65 or older 14 1 These large differences in victimization rates by age occurred for each of the violent crimes measured by the survey. For example, there were 4 rape/sexual assaults per 1,000 for persons under age 25, 2 per 1,000 for those ages 25 to 49, and 0.1 per 1,000 for those age 50 or more. Rates for robbery were twice as high for those under 25 as for those ages 25 to 49. For persons under age 25, the robbery rates were 12 per 1,000 compared with 2 per 1,000 for those persons age 50 or more. The rates of aggravated assault were almost 3 times as high for victims under 25 as for those ages 25 to 49. Rates per 1,000 persons age 12 or older ----------------------- 12-24 25-49 50 or Type of crime older --------------------------------------------- Violent crime 110.9 48.4 10.3 Rape/sexual assault 4.4 2.1 .1 Robbery 11.7 6.1 1.9 Aggravated assault 27.3 10.1 2.3 Simple assault 67.5 30.0 6 ---------------------------- Examining violent incidents ---------------------------- Excluding those crimes in which the victim/offender relationship was not known, 53% of persons victimized by violence did not know their assailant. Almost 8 out of 10 robberies were committed by strangers compared to 3 out of 10 of all rapes/sexual assaults. Just over half of all rapes/sexual assaults were committed by people either well-known or casually known to the victim. While overall violent crimes were about as likely to occur during the day as during the night, some crimes exhibited different patterns. Fifty-three percent of incidents of violent crime occurred between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. About two-thirds of simple assaults, compared to a third of aggravated assaults, took place during these hours. Approximately two-thirds of rapes/sexual assaults occurred at night -- 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. In 1994 about a quarter of incidents of violent crime occurred at or near the victim's home. Among common locales for violent crimes were on the street other than those near the victim's home (20%), at school (13%), or at a commercial establishment (13%). Twenty-three percent of victims of violent crime reported being involved in some form of leisure activity away from home at the time of their victimization. Twenty-two percent said they were at home, and another 22% mentioned they were at work or traveling to or from work when the crime occurred. One in five violent crimes occurred in or near the victim's home. Including these, almost half occurred within a mile from home and about 70% within five miles. Only 5% of victims of violent crime reported that the crime took place more than fifty miles from their home. In 3 out of 10 incidents of violent crimes, offenders used or threatened to use a weapon. NCVS defines assaults involving weapons as aggravated; thus almost all aggravated assaults (95%) involved a weapon. (Assaults without weapons are classified as aggravated if the victim suffers a serious injury.) Offenders had or used a weapon in slightly more than half of all robberies, compared with 16% of all rapes/sexual assaults. --------------------------------- Summary of crime characteristics --------------------------------- Rapes/sexual assaults *********************** *Two-thirds were committed by someone acquainted with, known to, or related to the victim. *Two-thirds occurred in the evening or at night. *About 6 in 10 occurred in the victim's or someone else's home. *More than a third occurred as the victim engaged in activities in the home; another third occurred during leisure activities away from the home. *Offenders had a weapon in 16% of all rape/sexual assault victimizations. Robberies ********** *Almost 8 in 10 were committed by strangers. *About 4 in 10 occurred in the daytime; another 4 in 10 occurred in the evening before midnight. *Robberies occurred in a variety of situations: --1 in 5 during leisure activities --1 in 5 during travel and almost 1 in 5 at home --1 in 6 while at work or commuting to/from work --1 in 10 while shopping --1 in 14 at school. *Weapons were present in 55% of robberies. *More than half occurred at or within a mile of the victim's home. Assaults ********* *Strangers committed 1 in 2 simple assaults and 6 in 10 aggravated assaults. *Simple assaults were almost twice as likely as aggravated assaults to be committed during the daytime. *For both aggravated and simple assaults, about 1 in 4 occurred at or near the victim's home. *25% of aggravated assaults and 15% of simple assaults occurred on streets other than near the victim's home. *In aggravated assaults, offenders had a firearm in more than 1 in 3 incidents and another type of weapon in 6 of 10. Simple assaults do not involve the use of weapons. ------------------- Survey methodology ------------------- The National Crime Victimization Survey measures personal and household offenses, including crimes not reported to police, by interviewing all the occupants age 12 or older of housing units that have been selected to comprise a representative sample. The sample also includes persons living in group quarters, such as dormitories, rooming houses, and religious group dwellings. Excluded are crew members of merchant vessels, Armed Forces personnel living in military barracks or temporary housing, and institutionalized persons, such as correctional facility inmates and hospital or hospice patients. A Bureau of the Census representative interviews each housing unit at 6-month intervals, spreading out the complete sample of household interviews over the entire year. In 1994, Bureau of the Census interviewed approximately 120,000 residents in 56,000 housing units about the crimes they had experienced in the previous 6 months. Response rates were 96% of eligible housing units and 92% of individuals in interviewed households. Since sample survey data provide the estimates in the Bulletin, these estimates are subject to sampling variation. Comparisons presented in this report are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level, meaning that the estimated difference is greater than twice the standard error. Statements of comparison qualified by language such as "slightly," "somewhat," or "marginal" indicate statistical significance at the 90% level (1.6 standard error). ------------------------------------------------- The NCVS redesign ---------------------- Data based on the redesign are not comparable to data before 1993. Criminal Victimization 1993 was the first yearly Bulletin that presented data from the redesigned survey. A number of fundamental changes were introduced when the survey was redesigned. These changes were phased into the sample over several years. For information about these changes refer to Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1993, NCJ-151657. ------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., is director. BJS Bulletins are a publication series that presents the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs. Craig A. Perkins and Patsy A. Klaus of the Bureau of Justice Statistics wrote this report. Bruce Taylor provided statistical review. Tom Hester and Tina Dorsey edited the report. Marilyn Marbrook, assisted by Jayne Robinson and Yvonne Boston, administered production. April 1996, NCJ-151657 ************************************************** END OF FILE