U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Errata Criminal Victimization, 2005 June 16, 2011 The estimates published in the Criminal Victimization, 2005 bulletin were calculated using incorrect sampling weights. Base weights for non-self-representing primary sampling units were adjusted to more accurately represent the 2000 sample design. The corrected weights resulted in relatively small revisions to estimates of victimization counts and rates (table A). See Methodology at http://bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=dcdetail&iid=245 for a discussion of the National Crime Victimization Survey design and weighting protocol. With the following exceptions, all conclusions and findings presented in Criminal Victimization, 2005 remain unchanged: Table 1. The change in property crime rates from 2004 to 2005 was significant at the 90% confidence level. The difference was originally reported significant at the 95% level. Table 6. The aggravated assault rate for Hispanics was higher than that for non-Hispanics. (i.e. the difference was significant at the 95% level.) The report originally reported the difference as significant at the 90% level. Table 7. The difference between the violent crime rates for never married persons and divorced/separated persons was not statistically significant. The report originally reported the difference as significant at the 90% level. The incorrect sampling weight also impacted estimates presented in the BJS reports listed below. Errata detailing the impact are forthcoming for each of these reports. *Criminal Victimization in the United States, 2005 Statistical Tables *Criminal Victimization, 2006 *Identity Theft, 2005 *Crime and the Nation's Households, 2005 *Black Victims of Violent Crime *Intimate Partner Violence in the United States *Contacts Between the Police and the Public, 2005 *Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2005 September 2006, NCJ 214644 ------------------------------------------------------- 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 from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv05.htm 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 ------------------------------------------------------- by Shannan M. Catalano, Ph.D. BJS Statistician ------------------------------------------------------- Highlights The overall violent crime rate remained unchanged between 2004 and 2005, while the property crime rate declined * For most crimes, aggregated rates for the two-year period 2004-05 were unchanged from 2002-03, while minor declines were seen for some forms of robbery and simple assault without injury. * From 1993 to 2005, the violent crime rate was down 58%, from 50 to 21 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. * During 2005, 24% of all violent crime incidents were committed by an armed offender, including 9% by an offender with a firearm. * The rate of firearm violence increased between 2004 and 2005, from 1.4 to 2.0 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. * Males were most vulnerable to violence by strangers (54% of the violence against males), while females were most often victimized by nonstrangers (64%). * Males, blacks, and persons age 24 or younger continued to be victimized at higher rates than females, whites, and persons age 25 or older in 2005. * During 2005, 47% of all violent victimizations and 40% of all property crimes were reported to the police. ------------------------------------------------------ In 2005 U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced an estimated 23 million violent and property victimizations, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey(NCVS). These criminal victimizations included an estimated 18 million property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft), 5.2 million violent crimes (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault), and 227,000 personal thefts (pocket picking and purse snatching). Because of a decline in the rate of theft, the overall property crime rate declined between 2004 and 2005. Victimization rates for every other major type of crime measured by the survey were unchanged. For completed robbery with injury and simple assault without minor injury, aggregate rates for the period 2004-05 were somewhat lower than those for 2002-03. The 1-year (2004-2005) and 2-year (2002-03 to 2004-05) change estimates indicate that at the national level crime rates remain stabilized at the lowest overall levels experienced since 1973. Between 1993 (when the NCVS was redesigned) and 2005, the violent crime rate decreased 58%, from 50 to 21 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. Property crime declined 52%, from 319 to 154 per 1,000 households. In 2005, according to victims, 47% of violent crimes were reported to the police, up from 43% in 1993. The proportion of property crimes reported to the police also increased to 40% in 2005, from 33% in 1993. Criminal victimization, 2004-05 The NCVS collects data on nonfatal crimes against persons age 12 or older, reported and not reported to the police, from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. (See Methodology, page 11.) Information on homicide is obtained from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program of the FBI. Crimes measured by the NCVS Violent crimes include rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Property crimes include household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft. The overall violent crime rate remained stable between 2004 and 2005, while the overall property crime rate declined due to a drop in household theft from 123 to 116 victimizations per 1,000 households. Murder/nonnegligent manslaughter Based on preliminary 2005 data from the FBI, the number of persons murdered in the United States increased 4.8% between 2004 and 2005. In 2004, 16,140 persons were murdered; the estimate for 2005 is about 16,910 victims of murder. Based on these preliminary data, the homicide rate for 2005 is an estimated 5.7 per 100,000 individuals. Preliminary data suggest that while increases in the number of murders occurred in all regions of the country, the greatest increases were in the Midwest (5.8%) and South (5.3%). --------------------------------------------------- Murder and victim characteristics, 2004 In 2004, the year in which the most recent comprehensive data are available, the FBI reported a total of 16,140 murders or nonnegligent manslaughters. The total represented a 2.4% decrease from the 16,530 murders recorded in 2003. The FBI defines murder in its annual Crime in the United States as the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another. Justifiable homicides, attempted murder, and deaths caused by negligence, suicide, or accident are not included. The FBI's UCR program collects data on murder from over 17,000 city, county, and State law enforcement agencies. Though the rate and level of homicide change from year to year, the relationship between victim characteristics and homicide tends to remain the same. For example, as in previous years, in 2004 — * Most murder victims were male (78%). * When the race of the murder victim was known, about half were white (49.8%), almost half were black (47.6%), and about 2.6% were of another race. * When information on the victim-offender relationship was available, 77% of the offenders were known to the victim, while 23% were a stranger to the victim. * Firearms were used in the majority of murders (70%). * Offenders were most often male (90%) and age 18 or older (92%). * Homicide is generally intraracial. * Arguments were the most often cited circumstance leading to murder (44%). * Homicides occurred in connection with another felony (such as rape, robbery, or arson) in 23% of incidents. -------------------------------------------------- Criminal victimization, 2002-03 and 2004-05 Comparing the 2-year average annual rates, criminal victimization changed somewhat in three sub-categories of crime rates from 2002-03 to 2004-05. During this period there were indications that the average annual rates of attempted or threatened violence, completed robbery with injury, and simple assault without injury declined somewhat from 2002-03 to 2004-05. ---------------------------------------- Estimating change in crime victimization rates Since 1995 the NCVS has under-gone sample reductions because of the escalating costs of data collection. At the same time, the rate of crime remains at the lowest levels in the past thirty years. The combination of the two — fewer survey respondents and less crime — has resulted in a diminished ability to detect statistically significant year-to-year changes in rates. Comparing 2-year average rates provides a picture of the continuing decline in some categories of crime. Annual detailed tables of victimization counts and per capita rates are located on the BJS website at . --------------------------------------- Comparing victim characteristics, 2002-03 and 2004-05 Violent victimization rates remained unchanged from 2002-03 to 2004-05 for most demographic categories of victims examined. Gender Violent crime rates for females declined somewhat from 2002-03 to 2004-05. Marital status Rates of violence against persons who were never married declined somewhat from 2002-03 to 2004-05, from 42 to 38 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. Age For persons 16 to 19 years old, violent crime rates fell from 56 to 45 victimizations per 1,000 persons. Despite apparent differences, there was no detectable change for persons in other age groups. Annual household income There are indications that the rate of violent victimization declined for persons in households earning less than $7,500 per year. There was no detectable change for persons in other income categories. Region and location of residence Crime rates remained stable for persons residing in all regions of the country (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West). Between 2002-03 and 2004-05, violent crime decreased 12% for persons residing in suburban areas but remained unchanged in urban and rural areas. Comparing household characteristics, 2002-03 and 2004-05 Annual household income Property crime rates were unchanged for households in all income categories between 2002-03 and 2004-05. Region, location, and homeownership A decline of 12% in property crime rates was measured in the Northeast, 2002-03 to 2004-05. No difference in rates was observed in other regions of the country. Despite apparent changes, rates of property crime remained stable for households in urban (207), suburban (142), and rural (130) areas. From 2002-03 to 2004-05, average annual property crime rates remained stable for residential renters and homeowners. -------------------------------------- Victimization trends, 1993-2005 The rate of every major violent and property crime measured in the NCVS — rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft — fell significantly between 1993 and 2005. Violent crime The overall violent crime rate fell 58% from 50 to 21 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older between 1993 to 2005. Other significant declines were measured in the rates of rape or sexual assault(down 69%), robbery (down 57%), aggravated assault (down 64%), and simple assault (down 54%). Property crime From 1993 through 2005, the rate of overall property crime declined significantly, as did the rate for all major types of property crime. The household burglary rate fell 49%; the motor vehicle theft rate fell 56%; and the theft rate fell 52%. The declines in motor vehicle theft and theft were greater for attempted crimes than for completed crimes. ------------------------------------- Characteristics of victims, 1993-2005 Violent victimization declined in every demographic group between 1993 and 2005. For males, the rate of violence declined 57%, from 60 to 26 victimizations per 1,000 males. The rate of violence against females declined by 58%, from 41 to 17 victimizations per 1,000 females. In 2003 new definitions for race and ethnicity were implemented in the NCVS survey that prevent long term comparisons(See Methodology on page 11 for further details). Using these new definitions, in 2005 the rate of violence for whites was 20.1 per 1,000; for blacks, 27.0 per 1,000; and for other races (American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander), 13.9 per 1,000. Violent crime rates declined 39% for victims residing in households earning $15,000 to $24,999 per year, from 49 to 30 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. Violent crime rates for individuals living in households in all other income categories declined by nearly 50% or more. Property crime rates fell for every demographic group considered between 1993 and 2005. Households in every region of the country experienced declines in property crime rates of 50% or more. Property crime rates for households that owned or rented their homes also showed a decline of at least 50%. Households in urban areas (down 51%), suburban areas(down 54%), and rural areas (down 49%) experienced similar declines in property crime rates from 1993 to 2005. Households with annual incomes of less than $15,000 experienced smaller declines in property crime rates than households with annual incomes of $25,000 or more between 1993 and 2005. Characteristics of violent crime victims, 2005 Males, blacks, and persons age 24 or younger continued to be victimized at higher rates than females, whites, and persons age 25 or older in 2005. Gender of victim Males were victims of overall violent crime, robbery, total assault, aggravated assaults and simple assault at rates higher than females. Females were more likely than males to be victims of rape or sexual assault. Race of victim Blacks were victims of overall violence, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault at rates higher than those for whites in 2005. Blacks were also more likely than persons of other races to be victims of violence. Beginning in 2003 survey respondents were able to self- identify with more than one race. In 2005, persons of two or more races were victims of overall violence at significantly higher rates than whites, blacks, and persons of other races. Hispanic origin of victim Hispanics were victims of overall violence, robbery, and aggravated assault at rates somewhat higher than those of non-Hispanics in 2005. Hispanics and non-Hispanics were equally likely to experience rape or sexual assault, simple assault, and theft. Age of victim As in previous years, there was a general pattern of decreasing crime rates for persons of older age groups. Persons age 25 or older experienced lower victimization rates than younger individuals. Persons age 16-19 experienced robbery at rates higher than persons in other age groups, except ages 20-24. Household income There was a general pattern of decreasing victimization rates for persons residing in households with higher incomes. Persons in households with an annual income under $7,500 were more likely to be victims of robbery and assault than members of households with incomes of $35,000 or more. Persons of all income categories were equally likely to experience rape or sexual assault. Differences in robbery rates among persons in income categories below $35,000 were not statistically significant. Marital status of victims Persons who were never married experienced somewhat higher rates of overall violence than did persons of other marital status categories. Persons who were married and widowed were equally likely to experience rape or sexual assault. Persons who were married were more likely than persons who were divorced or separated to experience assault. Married and divorced or separated persons were equally likely to experience robbery. Region Despite apparent differences, persons residing in the Midwest(3.2 per 1,000), Northeast(2.4 per 1,000), and West(2.7 per 1,000) were equally likely to experience robbery victimizations. There was some indication that the rate of robbery was lower in the South than in the Midwest. Location of residence Urban residents experienced overall crimes of violence, robbery, and assault at rates higher than those for suburban and rural residents. Except for the crime of rape or sexual assault, suburban and rural residents had statistically similar rates of violence. Characteristics of households experiencing property crime, 2005 Annual household income Households earning less than $7,500 per year were more likely to experience burglary than households earning more than $15,000 per year. While theft rates varied across income levels, no patterns emerged. Region, locality, and homeownership Rates of overall property crime were lowest for households in the Northeast (104 per 1,000). Households in the West experienced higher overall property victimization rates (206 per 1,000) than those in other regions. For households located in the South and Midwest, the rates of overall property crime were statistically similar. Northeastern households were less likely to experience burglary than were households in other regions of the country. Western households continued to experience the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in 2005. Northeastern and Midwestern households were equally likely to experience motor vehicle theft. Rates of burglary, motor vehicle theft, and household theft were highest for households located in urban areas. Suburban households were victims of motor vehicle theft and theft at rates higher than those of rural households. Rates of burglary were somewhat higher for rural households than for suburban households but lower than rates of burglary in urban areas. In 2005 households that owned their home (137 per 1,000) were less likely to experience all types of property crime than households that rented their home (192 per 1,000). Characteristics of the violent crime incident Victim-offender relationship Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew, while males were more likely to be victimized by a stranger. This finding continued during 2005. Of those offenders victimizing females, 18% were described as intimates and 34% as strangers. In contrast, of those offenders victimizing males, 3% were described as intimates and 54% as strangers. Women reported being raped or sexually assaulted by a friend or acquaintance in 38% of such victimizations. Presence of weapons An estimated 24% of all violent crime incidents were committed by an armed offender. As in previous years, the presence of a firearm during a violent crime was related to the type of crime. Three percent of rape or sexual assault victimizations, 7% of assault victimizations, and 26% of robberies were committed by an offender with a firearm. Between 1993 and 2005, the overall rate of firearm violence declined significantly from 5.9 to 2.0 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. The rate of firearm violence increased between 2004 and 2005, from 1.4 to 2.0 victimizations per 1,000 individuals. In 2003 the rate was 1.9 per 1,000 (not shown in table). Reporting to the police During 2005, 47% of all violent victimizations and 40% of all property crimes were reported to the police. The percentage of aggravated assault reported to the police (62%) was higher than the percentage for rape or sexual assault (38%) and simple assault (42%). It was also somewhat higher than that for robbery (52%). Fifty-six percent of burglaries and 32% of household thefts were reported to the police in 2005. Motor vehicle theft was the property crime most frequently reported to the police(83%). Reporting and victim characteristics In 2005, violent crimes against females (55%) were more likely to be reported to police than crimes against males (42%). Rates of reporting for violent victimizations did not differ for males or females across racial and ethnic categories. Reporting crime to the police, 1993-2005 The percentage of violent and property crime reported to the police remained unchanged between 2004 and 2005. With the exception of rape or sexual assault and robbery, reporting to the police of violent and property crime increased between 1993 and 2005. Aggravated assault reported to the police increased from 54% to 62%, and simple assault reported to the police increased from 37% to 42% between 1993 and 2005. During the same period, burglary reported to the police increased from 50% to 56%; motor vehicle theft increased from 75% to 83%; and theft increased from 26% to 32%. Methodology This Bulletin presents data on nonlethal violence and property crimes from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). It also presents data on homicide from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Victimization rates are based on data collected during the calendar year. In 2005, about 77,200 households and 134,000 individuals age 12 or older were interviewed for the NCVS. The response rate was 90.7% of eligible households and 84.3% of eligible individuals. Since 2003 the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) guidelines mandate that individuals in household surveys be allowed to choose more than one racial category. In prior years they were asked to select a single primary race. Racial categories presented in this report consist of the following: white only, black only, other race only (American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander if only one of these races is given), and two or more races (all persons of any race indicating two or more races). Individuals are asked whether they are of Hispanic origin before being asked about their race, and are asked directly if they are of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino origin. Standard error computations Comparisons of percentages and rates made in this report were tested to determine if observed differences were statistically significant. Differences described as higher, lower, or different passed a test at the 0.05 level of statistical significance (95% confidence level). Differences described as somewhat, slightly, marginally, or some indication passed a test at the 0.10 level of statistical significance (90% confidence level). Caution is required when comparing estimates not explicitly discussed in this Bulletin. ------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeffrey Sedgwick is the director. Shannan M. Catalano, Ph.D., wrote this report under the supervision of Michael Rand. Cathy T. Maston and Stephen Karger provided statistical review. Marianne Zawitz produced the Highlight figures. Allen J. Beck edited this report. Tina Dorsey produced the report and Jayne Robinson prepared the report for final print, under the supervision of Doris J. James. NCVS data collection and processing were conducted for BJS by the U.S. Census Bureau. September 2006, NCJ 214644 --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- his report in portable document format and in ASCII and its related statistical data and tables — are available at the BJS World Wide Web Internet site: . --------------------------------------- End of file 09/05/06 ih