U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2008-2010 - Statistical Tables Statistical Tables By Erika Harrell, Ph.D., BJS Statistician ---------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.csv) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available on BJS website at: http://bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2238. 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://bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbse&sid=65 ----------------------------------------------------------- Persons age 12 or older who had disabilities experienced an estimated 567,000 nonfatal violent crimes in 2010 (table 1). This number represents a 25% decrease from 2009, when persons with disabilities experienced more than 753,000 nonfatal violent crimes. Nonfatal violent crimes include rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Between 2008 and 2009, no measurable difference occurred in the levels of violent crime against persons with disabilities. The findings in this report are based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a household survey that collects data on the civilian resident U.S. population (excluding those living in institutions). The NCVS defines disability as a sensory, physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or longer and causing difficulty in activities of daily living. Disabilities are classified according to six limitations: * Hearing limitation entails deafness or serious difficulty hearing. * Vision limitation is blindness or serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses. * Cognitive limitation includes serious difficulty in concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition. * Ambulatory limitation is difficulty walking or climbing stairs. * Self-care limitation is a condition that causes difficulty dressing or bathing. * Independent living limitation is a physical, mental, or emotional condition that impedes doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor or shopping. The NCVS adopted survey questions from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) to identify respondents with disabilities. Data from the ACS were used to estimate victimization rates for persons with and without disabilities. NCVS does not identify persons in the general population with disabilities. The Methodology further details data sources and data limitations. Statistical tables in this report detail nonfatal violent victimization against persons with disabilities. The tables detail the level and rates of victimization of persons with and without disabilities, describes the types of disabilities, and compares victim and crime characteristics. Age-adjusted rates of violent victimizations Direct comparisons of the victimization rate between persons with and without disabilities without taking into account the differences in age distributions between the two populations can be misleading. The age distribution of persons with disabilities differs considerably from that of persons without disabilities, and violent crime victimization rates vary significantly with age. To compare rates of violent victimization by disability status, an age adjustment method was used to handle the differences in age distributions of persons with disabilities and without disabilities. According to the ACS, persons with disabilities are generally older than persons without disabilities. For example, in 2009 about 41% of persons with disabilities were age 65 or older, compared to 11% of persons without disabilities. The age adjustment standardizes the rate of violence for persons with disabilities to show what the rate against them would be if they had the same age distribution of persons without disabilities. In generating the age-adjusted rates, unadjusted rates of violent crime by age group were calculated by dividing the number of violent incidents against persons with disabilities in a specific age group by the number of persons with disabilities in that age group. The proportion of the particular age group among the number of persons without disabilities are calculated and multiplied by the unadjusted rate for that age group. This is done for each age group and the results are summed, generating the age-adjusted rate. Both age-specific rates of violent crime and age distribution of the population contribute to the age-adjusted rates presented in this report. In 2010, the unadjusted rate of violent victimization was similar for both populations (16 violent victimizations per 1,000 for persons age 12 or older with disabilities and 15 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older without disabilities). However, the age-adjusted rate of violent crime against persons with disabilities (28 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons) was higher than the rate for persons without disabilities (15 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons). (See Methodology for more information.) Data limitations The NCVS does not survey persons living in institutions, such as adult correctional facilities, nursing facilities, or patient hospice facilities. According to the ACS, about 1.6 million persons age 65 or older living in institutions had disabilities. Because persons in these facilities would not be covered in the survey, estimates of violence against them are not counted. In addition, certain aspects of the NCVS design may also contribute to an underestimation of violence against persons with disabilities. For details, see Limitations of the Estimates in Methodology. Disability population in the U.S. In 2009, according to the ACS, an estimated 14% of the U.S. population age 12 or older living outside of institutions had a disability. Characteristics of the population with and without disabilities are compared in appendix table 13. Among the noninstitutionalized persons with disabilities, 47% were male and 53% were female. Whites accounted for 77% of the population with disabilities, blacks 14%, other races 7%, and multiple races 2%. About 10% were Hispanic. Slightly more than 68% of the population with disabilities was age 50 or older, compared to 32% in the population without disabilities. The sex, race, Hispanic origin and age distributions of persons with a disability living outside of institutions did not change substantially between 2008 and 2009, as measured by the ACS. The 2010 population estimates for persons with a disability were based on the 2009 population distributions. (See Methodology for more information.) ----------------------------------------------------------- Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act (Public Law 105-301), 1998 The Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act mandates that the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) include statistics on crimes against people with disabilities and the characteristics of the victims of those crimes. The act was designed "to increase public awareness of the plight of victims of crime with developmental disabilities, to collect data to measure the magnitude of the problem, and to develop strategies to address the safety and justice needs of victims of crime with developmental disabilities." Section 5 of the act directed the Department of Justice to include statistics relating to "the nature of crimes against people with developmental disabilities; and the specific characteristics of the victims of those crimes" in the NCVS. This is the third report in the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)series on crime against people with disabilities. The first two reports in this series, Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2007 (NCJ 227814) and Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2008 (NCJ 231328), are available on the BJS Website. Because of changes in the questionnaire, comparisons between 2007 data and later years should not be made. (See Methodology for more information on changes to the NCVS and ACS questionnaires.) ----------------------------------------------------------- Summary Findings Violent crime by type of crime * In 2010, the age-adjusted violent victimization rate for persons with disabilities (28 violent victimizations per 1,000) was almost twice the rate among persons without disabilities (15 violent victimizations per 1,000) (table 2). * In 2010, serious violence (rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault) accounted for about 50% of violence against persons with disabilities, up from 36% in 2009. This increase was driven primarily by a decline in simple assaults (down 41%) rather than an increase in serious violence. * Between 2009 and 2010, the number of violent victimizations against persons with disabilities dropped 25%. * In 2010, the age-adjusted rate of serious violent victimization (rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault) was 16 per 1,000 persons with disabilities, compared to 5 per 1,000 for persons without disabilities. * From 2008 to 2010, the age-adjusted rate of violent crime against persons with disabilities decreased from 40 per 1,000 to 28 per 1,000. By comparison, the rate of violent crime against persons without disabilities decreased from 20 per 1,000 in 2008 to about 15 per 1,000 in 2010. * In 2010, the age-adjusted rate of simple assault against persons with disabilities was 12 per 1,000, compared to a rate of 10 per 1,000 for persons without disabilities. Violent crime rates by victim characteristics Age * In 2010, among persons age 12 to 15, persons with disabilities had an unadjusted rate of violent victimization (61 per 1,000) that was at least twice that of persons without disabilities (23 per 1,000) (table 3). * Between 2008 and 2009, the violent crime rate for persons age 12 to 15 with disabilities declined from 135 per 1,000 to 79 per 1,000. * In 2010, the unadjusted rate of violent crime against persons age 65 or older did not differ by disability status, about 2 to 3 victimizations per 1,000 persons. * From 2009 to 2010, unadjusted violent victimization rates declined for persons age 25 to 34 with disabilities (from 51 per 1,000 to 26 per 1,000). * From 2009 to 2010, among persons without disabilities, the violent crime rates decreased for persons age 12 to 15 (from 35 per 1,000 to 23 per 1,000) and decreased slightly for persons age 35 to 49 (from 15 per 1,000 to 13 per 1,000). Sex * In 2010, for both males and females the age-adjusted rate of violent crime was greater for those with disabilities than the rate against those without disabilities. The rate for males with disabilities was 23 per 1,000, compared to 16 per 1,000 for males without disabilities; for females with disabilities the rate was 26 per 1,000, compared to 15 per 1,000 for females without disabilities (table 4). * Among persons with disabilities, females with disabilities (26 per 1,000) had a slightly higher age-adjusted rate than males with disabilities (23 per 1,000) in 2010; among persons without disabilities, males (16 per 1,000) and females (15 per 1,000) had similar rates of violent victimization. Race and Hispanic origin * From 2009 to 2010, among persons with disabilities, the age-adjusted rates of violent victimization decreased for whites (from 38 per 1,000 to 23 per 1,000), blacks (45 per 1,000 to 23 per 1,000), Hispanics (33 per 1,000 to 24 per 1,000), and non-Hispanics (38 per 1,000 to 24 per 1,000). * In 2010, among whites, other races, and persons of two or more races, those with disabilities had higher age-adjusted violent victimization rates than those without disabilities: whites (23 per 1,000 compared to 15 per 1,000), persons of other races* (22 per 1,000 compared to 6 per 1,000), and persons of two or more races (93 per 1,000 compared to 22 per 1,000). * Among blacks, the age-adjusted rate of violent victimization did not differ by disability status in 2010 (23 per 1,000 blacks with disabilities compared to 23 per 1,000 blacks without disabilities). * In 2010, there was no difference in the age-adjusted rate of violent crime against whites (23 per 1,000), blacks (23 per 1,000), and persons of other races Footnote * Persons of other races include American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.***(22 per 1,000) with disabilities. * In 2010, Hispanics and non-Hispanics with disabilities had the same age-adjusted violent victimization rate (24 victimizations per 1,000 persons), and Hispanics and non-Hispanics without disabilities had the same rate (15 victimizations per 1,000 persons). Types of disabilities * In 2010, among the disability types measured, persons with cognitive disabilities had the highest rate of violent victimization (30 per 1,000) (table 5). * In 2009 and 2010, there were no measurable differences by sex in the rates of violent crime by disability type (table 6). Among males with disabilities-- * The rate of violent victimization for males with vision disabilities increased slightly, from 17 per 1,000 in 2008 to 29 per 1,000 in 2009. From 2009 to 2010, the violent victimization rate for males with vision disabilities decreased slightly to 18 per 1,000. * For males with ambulatory disabilities, the rate of violent victimization increased from 11 per 1,000 in 2008 to 20 per 1,000 in 2009. There was no measurable change in the violent victimization rate from 2009 to 2010 (16 per 1,000). Among females with disabilities-- * Between 2008 and 2009, the rates of violent victimization against females with hearing disabilities (19 per 1,000 compared to 14 per 1,000) did not vary, but it decreased slightly from 2009 to 2010 (8 per 1,000). * There was no measurable difference between the 2008 and 2009 rates of violent victimization against females with vision disabilities (19 per 1,000 to 22 per 1,000); however, the rate decreased slightly from 2009 to 2010 (13 per 1,000). * For females with ambulatory disabilities, the rate of violent victimization increased slightly from 2008 to 2009 (14 per 1,000 to 21 per 1,000) and decreased from 2009 to 2010 (11 per 1,000). * For females with self-care disabilities, the rate of violent victimization increased from 2008 to 2009 (9 per 1,000 to 18 per 1,000). There was no measurable change in the 2009 and 2010 (13 per 1,000) rate of violent victimization against persons with self-care disabilities. Victim/offender relationship * In 2010, offenders were strangers to the victim in 33% of violent victimizations against persons with disabilities, compared to 41% of violent victimizations against persons without disabilities (table 7). * In 2010, intimate partner violence accounted for 13% of violence against persons with disabilities, similar to the percentage of violence against persons without disabilities (14%). * In 2010, persons with disabilities (40%) were more likely than persons without disabilities (31%) to be attacked by persons well known to them or who were casual acquaintances of the victim. * The percentage of violence against persons with disabilities that was committed by intimate partners rose from 15% in 2008 to 23% in 2009 and declined to 13% in 2010; for persons without disabilities, this percentage remained relatively consistent, from 13% in 2008 to 14% in 2010. * While the percentage of violence against persons with disabilities committed by persons well known to them or casual acquaintances of the victim did not change significantly between 2008 and 2009, the percentage increased slightly from 31% in 2009 to 40% in 2010. The percentage did not significantly change from 2008 (32%) to 2010 (31%) for persons without disabilities. * In 2010, in about 17% of violence against persons with disabilities, the victim reported that they believed they had been targeted due to their disabilities (not shown in table). Victim resistance * In 2010, victims with disabilities (55%) were as likely as victims without disabilities (57%) to use any type of resistance during a violent crime, including threatening or attacking the offender (table 8). * Between 2009 and 2010, there were no measureable differences in the percentage of victims in either disability status who resisted their perpetrator; however, between 2008 and 2009, there was an increase in the percentage of victims with disabilities that resisted the offender. * In 2010, about half of victims with disabilities (46%) or without (51%)disabilities used nonconfrontational tactics (such as yelling at offender or cooperating with offender) in resisting their offender. * From 2008 to 2010, the percentage of violent crime victims with and without disabilities who used nonconfrontational tactics decreased slightly. Offender weapon possession * In 2010, victimizations against persons with disabilities (30%) were more likely than victimizations against persons without disabilities (21%) to involve an armed offender (table 9). * The offender was armed with a firearm in about 14% of victimizations involving persons with disabilities, compared to 8% of victimizations against those without disabilities in 2010. * Among persons with disabilities, the percentage of violence in which the victim faced an armed offender increased from 20% in 2008 to 30% in 2010. Victim injury * In 2010, about a third of victims with and without disabilities suffered an injury during the event (table 10). *Persons with disabilities who were injured during a violent victimization (20%) were more likely than persons without disabilities (12%) to receive medical treatment in 2010. * The percentage of violence against persons with disabilities in which the victim was injured remained steady from 2008 (27%) to 2010 (33%). * The percentage of violence in which the injured victims with disabilities received medical treatment increased from 11% in 2008 to 20% in 2010. Police notification and use of non-police victim service agencies * In 2010, about 41% of the violent victimizations against persons with disabilities were reported to police, compared to about 53% of victimizations against persons without disabilities (table 11). * In 2010, robbery (39%) and aggravated assault (40%) against persons with disabilities were less likely to be reported to police than similar crimes against persons without disabilities (63% reported for robbery and 65% for aggravated assault). * Police notification of serious violence against persons with disabilities declined from 62% in 2008 to 42% in 2010, while police notification of serious violence against persons without disabilities remained relatively steady (58% in 2008 compared to 62% in 2010). * In 2010, about 9% of victimizations of persons with disabilities used victim service agencies other than the police (table 12). ------------------------------------------------------------ List of Tables Table 1. Violent victimizations, by type of crime and disability status, 2008-2010 Table 2. Violent victimization rates, by type of victimization and disability status, 2008-2010 Table 3. Violent victimization rates, by age and disability status, 2008-2010 Table 4. Violent victimization rates, by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and disability status, 2008-2010 Table 5. Violent victimization rates of persons with disabilities, by type of crime and type of disability, 2008-2010 Table 6. Violent victimization rates of persons with disabilities, by type of disability and sex, 2008-2010 Table 7. Victim/offender relationship in violent crime, by disability status, 2008-2010 Table 8. Victim resistance in violent crime, by disability status, 2008-2010 Table 9. Violent crime, by offender weapon type and disability status, 2008-2010 Table 10. Injury and medical treatment in violent crime, by disability status, 2008-2010 Table 11. Violent crime reported to police, by type of crime and disability status, 2008-2010 Table 12. Violent crime in which victims used non-police advocacy agencies, by disability status and agency type, 2008-2010 ----------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************************ Office of Justice Programs * Innovation * Partnerships * Safer Neighborhoods * http://www.ojp.gov ************************************************************ ************************************************************ The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. James P. Lynch is director. These Statistical Tables were prepared by Erika Harrell, Ph.D. Michael Planty verified the report. Doris J. James and Jill Thomas edited the report, Tina Dorsey produced the report, and Jayne E. Robinson prepared the report for final printing under the supervision of Doris J. James. October 2011, NCJ 235777 This report in PDF and in ASCII and its related statistical data and tables are available at the BJS website: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2238. ************************************************************ 10/7/2011/JER/ 3:00pm