U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report Injuries from Violent Crime, 1992-98 June 2001, NCJ 168633 -------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/ivc98.htm --------------------------------------------------------- By Thomas Simon, Ph.D. James Mercy, Ph.D. CDC Behavioral Scientists Craig Perkins BJS Statistician --------------------------------------------------------- Highlights On average each year between 1992 and 1998, 2.6 million of the 10.2 million victims of violent crime in the United States were injured in the victimization 10.2 million nonfatal violent victimizations * No injury (74.7%) Injury (25.3%) * Minor/1 (20.8%) Severe/2 ( 3.4%) Rape/3 ( 1.1%) 1/Minor injuries include bruises, black eyes, cuts, scratches, swelling, chipped teeth, and undetermined injuries requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. 2/Severe injuries include gunshot or knife wounds, broken bones, loss of teeth, internal injuries, loss of consciousness, and undeter- mined injuries requiring 2 or more days of hospitalization. 3/Rape/sexual assault with unspeci- fied types of injuries. * Nearly 1 in 5 injured violent crime victims, or an average of just under 480,000 persons per year, were treated in an emergency department or hospital for violence-related injuries. * From 1992 through 1998, for every homicide victim age 12 or older, approximately 121 people were injured in a violent crime, including 16 people with severe injuries. * The young, those with lower household incomes, blacks, American Indians, and Hispanics were more likely to be victimized and were more likely to be injured than their counterparts. * Of violent crimes measured by the NCVS, a higher percentage involved injury when committed by an intimate partner (48%) or a family member (32%) than when committed by a stranger (20%). * The percentage of victims of violence receiving severe nonfatal injuries was lowest in crimes committed without a weapon (2%), higher in crimes committed with a firearm (5%), and highest in crimes committed with a weapon other than a firearm (9%). * Between 1992 and 1998, 72% of the average annual 21,232 homicide victims age 12 or older were killed with a firearm. * From 1992 to 1998, 25% of victimizations resulting in severe injury and 46% of victimizations resulting in minor injury were not reported to law enforcement agencies. ----------------------------- Estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicate that each year between 1992 and 1998 an average of 10.2 million U.S. residents age 12 or older were victims of violence, including simple assault, aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and sexual assault. Overall, 25% of these violent crime victims -- about 2.6 million people -- were injured each year. Approximately 1 in 8 of these victims, 344,000 people annually, were severely injured. In addition, on average each year more than 21,000 people were murdered, 1992-98. Rates of injury from violence were higher among the young, the poor, urban dwellers, blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians. Injury rates were lower among the elderly, persons with higher incomes, persons with higher educational attainment, and the married or widowed. Persons victimized by an intimate partner were more likely than those victimized by acquaintances or strangers to be injured. From 1992 through 1998, there were 148,625 homicides in the United States among persons age 12 or older, an average of 21,232 homicides per year. Homicide is consistently among the top 5 causes of death for persons younger than 35. Homicide victims represent the smallest proportion of violent crime victims. For every 1,000 violent crimes, 2 are homicides. After cresting in 1993 rates of homicide, severe injury, and overall violent victimization have declined. Homicide and severe injury rates dropped 35% while violent victimization rates declined 30%, 1993-98. Data on non-lethal violence are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a continuing survey of the public. The number of homicides are from the National Center for Health Statistics, compiled by the Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of people in the population for these years was determined by data from the Census Bureau. National Crime Victimization Survey The NCVS is the Nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization. Data are continuously obtained from a nationally representative sample of around 43,000 households comprising nearly 78,000 persons age 12 or older. Household members are asked about the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization. The survey enables the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to estimate the rate of victimization by rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft. The rates describe the susceptibility to crime by the population as a whole as well as by segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of racial groups, and city dwellers. In asking respondents about injuries resulting from crime, the NCVS does not examine emotional and mental trauma. Types of injuries and crime Between 1992 and 1998, 3 out of 4 violent crime victims reported that they were not injured during the crime. During this 7- year period about 1 in 4 victims of violence reported sustaining some type of injury, mostly minor. While the proportion varied by type of crime, approximately 3% of all violent crime victims suffered a severe injury, and an additional 1% were victims of rape or sexual assault with unspecified type of injuries. Of those injured, 82% reported such injuries as bruises, black eyes, cuts, scratches, swelling, chipped teeth, or other injuries requiring less than 2 days hospitalization denoted in this report as minor injuries. Type of injury Percentage Total victims with injuries 100 % Minor 82 % Cuts and bruises 66 Other minor 16 Severe 13 % Broken bones or teeth 4 Knife/stab/slash wound 3 Loss of consciousness 3 Internal injuries 2 Gunshot wound 1 Rape without additional injuries 4 % The sum of the detail may not total to 100% due to rounding. Approximately 13% of injured crime victims described severe injuries. These injuries included gunshot wounds, knife wounds, broken bones, loss of teeth, internal injuries, loss of consciousness, or other injuries requiring 2 or more days of hospitalization. Another 4% experienced rape/sexual assault with unspecified types of injuries. Each year from 1992 to 1998 among U.S. residents age 12 or older, about -- * 1 in 21 experienced a violent crime * 1 in 84 suffered an injury as a result of a violent crime * 1 in 627 sustained a severe injury * 1 in 10,169 died as a result of a violent crime. -------------------------- Injuries resulting from rape and sexual assault Severity of injury in completed rape Percentage Total 100 % Rape with unspecified types of injuries/a 61 Rape with additional minor injuries/b 33 Rape with additional severe injuries/b 6 a/NCVS defines completed rape as injury. Sixty-one percent of rape victims did not report additional physical injuries. b/Victims of completed rape with other injuries were grouped according to the severity of these additional injuries. Rape is sexual intercourse forced on the victim through physical or psychological coercion. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s), including penetration by a foreign object. Victims can be male or female, and the rape can be heterosexual or homosexual. NCVS defines completed rape as an injury. Sixty-one percent of victims of completed rape did not report additional injuries. For purposes of this report, victims of completed rape without additional injuries were categorized as injured but not as sustaining a severe or minor injury. In addition, small percentages of victims of attempted rape (10%) and sexual assault (6%) who were injured but did not provide information on the nature of their injury beyond "attempted rape" or "sexual assault" were categorized as injured with unspecified types of injuries. Victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault who reported other injuries were grouped according to the severity of those additional injuries (for completed rape, 6% severe and 33% minor). ------------------------------- Between 1992 and 1998 an estimated average annual 2.6 million nonfatal injuries resulted from violent crime, including 344,190 severe injuries. The most common severe injuries classified were broken bones (33% of severe injuries and 4.4% of all injuries), knife wounds (25% and 3.3%), and loss of consciousness (19% and 2.6%). Most minor injuries were bruises, cuts, and scratches (80% of minor injuries and 66% of all injuries). Injuries, treatment, and reporting to the police One indicator of injury severity is the medical treatment victims received. The majority of injured victims either were not treated or received treatment somewhere other than a hospital or emergency department (ED). Type of treat- Average annual rate Percent, ment for per 1,000 persons 1992- injured victims age 12 or older 98 Total 12 100 % Not treated 7 57 Treated 5 43 Other than hospital/ED 3 25 Hospital/ED 2 19 Not admitted 2 16 Admitted 0.3 2 Injured victims of rape/sexual assault -- including those with additional, unspecified injuries -- and victims with injuries from a simple assault (29% and 34%, respectively) were less likely than injured victims of other types of crime to receive medical attention. The majority of injured victims from aggravated assaults (63%) and approximately half of robbery victims (53%) required some form of medical treatment. By definition, aggravated assault subsumes either the presence of a weapon or severe injuries. The likelihood of receiving medical care also varied by type or severity of injury. A majority of those with minor injuries reported receiving no medical treatment (62%) or care only at the scene (19%). Victims with severe injuries were most often treated in a hospital or ED (62% overall). Compared to victims who sustained other types of injury, victims of rape/ sexual assault with unspecified types of injuries were the least likely to receive medical care (15%). On average each year, just under 480,000 (19%) of the almost 2.6 million victims who were injured required treatment in an ED or hospital. This included the almost 56,000 victims admitted to the hospital for at least 1 night. Sixty-four percent of those admitted to a hospital for nonfatal injuries from violence stayed 3 days or more. Approximately 1 in 5 injured victims admitted to the hospital stayed 8 days or longer. Days in Percent of persons hospital admitted to hospital Total 100 % 1 27 2 9 3 16 4 to 5 14 6 to 7 13 8 or more 21 Mean 7 days Median 3 Range 1-90 days Among victims of incidents that resulted in severe injuries, 37% were not treated in an ED or hospital, 25% were not reported to the police, and 18% were neither treated nor reported. --------------------------- Counting crime-related injuries Other methods for estimating the prevalence and trends for nonfatal injuries from violence in the United States rely on reports from emergency departments (ED) or law enforcement. However, many injured victims of violence may not seek medical assistance from ED's or legal help from the police. Because the NCVS calculates incidence rates based on data gathered directly from victims, it can estimate the number of violent incidents resulting in injury regardless of official reporting. --------------------------- Among the incidents that resulted in minor injuries, 88% were not treated in an ED or hospital, 46% were not reported to police, and 44% were neither treated nor reported. Among victims who suffered a rape/sexual assault with unspecified types of injuries, 91% were not treated in an ED or hospital, 69% did not report the crime to the police, and 68% neither sought treatment nor reported the incident to the police. Level of homicide and trends in injury from violent crime Each year from 1992 through 1998, an average of 21,232 persons age 12 or older were homicide victims. For every homicide that occurred, approximately 121 people were injured by violence, including 22 people treated in an ED or hospital and 16 people with severe injuries. From 1993 to 1998 homicide rates dropped every year. Nonfatal violence showed a similar trend, with rates for nonfatal violent victimization and for victimizations with severe injury cresting in 1993. Rates for victimizations with minor injury and for all victimizations with injury declined since 1994. The violent victimization rate declined 26% from 52.2 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 1992 to 38.4 in 1998, an average annual percentage change of -3.6%. The injury rate declined 32% during this time, from 13.8 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 1992 to 9.4 in 1998, an average annual percentage change of -4.7%. The proportion of violent victimizations resulting in injuries did not change substantially, ranging between 24% and 26% during this 7-year period. The proportion of violent victimizations resulting in severe injuries also remained relatively stable, around 3.4%. Characteristics of injured victims Average annual victimization and injury rates, 1992-98, varied considerably by characteristics of the victim. The young had higher rates of injury from crime than older persons. Urbanites had higher rates than persons living in a suburb or rural area. Black, Hispanic, or American Indian persons had higher injury rates than non-Hispanic whites or Asian/Pacific Islanders. Comparing households at all annual income levels, members of households with the lowest income had the highest rates of violent victimization, injury from violent crime, and severe injury. While the rate of violent victimization was higher for males than females (55.8 versus 39.3 per 1,000 persons, respectively), injury rates for males and females were not significantly different (12.3 versus 11.6, respectively) because male victims of crime were less likely to be injured than female victims (22% versus 29%, respectively). Violent victimization rates differed significantly across race/ethnicity categories. The rates for violent victimization, victimization with injury, and severe injury were lowest among Asian/Pacific Islanders, higher among whites and Hispanics, higher still among blacks, and highest for American Indians. Persons between the ages of 12 and 24 were about 9 times more likely than individuals age 50 or older to be a victim of a violent crime, approximately 14 times more likely to be injured as a result of a violent crime, and about 9 times more likely to be severely injured. Persons with the lowest household incomes had the highest violent victimization rates, and a higher proportion of these victimizations resulted in physical injuries (34% versus 20%, respectively). Compared to persons with annual household incomes of $50,000 or more, persons with incomes of less than $20,000 were about 1.5 times more likely to become a victim of a violent crime, about 2.5 times more likely to be injured during the course of the violent victimization, and about 3.5 times more likely to sustain a severe injury. Average annual rate per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, 1992-98 Annual household Violent All Severe income victimization injuries injuries Less than $20,000 62.2 19.0 2.9 $20,000 to $49,999 46.5 10.8 1.4 $50,000 or more 39.6 7.8 0.8 Persons who did not go beyond junior high school had significantly higher victimization and injury rates than people with other levels of education. Persons who had never married and those who were separated or divorced had higher violent victimization, injury, and severe injury rates than those who were married or widowed. Persons living in urban areas had higher victimization, injury, and severe injury rates than their suburban or rural counterparts. Characteristics of violent offenders When each characteristic was considered separately, a majority of injured violent crime victims described the offender(s) as being male, white, and strangers or acquaintances. An intimate victim-offender relationship and the offender's consumption of alcohol and/or drugs increased the likelihood of an injury to the victim. Among the injured, about 8 in 10 victims reported that the offender was male, and about 1 in 3 reported that the offender was younger than 21. Sixty percent of injured victims reported that the offender was white. About 40% of all injured victims and severely injured victims described the offender as being on drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the incident. Approximately 1 in 5 injured victims reported that the offender was an intimate partner, and about 1 in 3 injured victims reported the offender had committed a crime against them previously. ---------------------------------- Intimate partner violence and injury, 1992-98 While a majority of males who were injured from violence reported that the offender was a stranger (56%), a far smaller percentage of injured females were victimized by a stranger (24%). Females who were injured in a violent crime were more likely to have been victimized by an intimate (37%) than a stranger.***Footnote: Intimate includes spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, ex- boyfriend, and ex-girlfriend.*** The opposite is true for injured males (4% of the injuries were perpetrated by an intimate). Victim's gender Percent of victimizations and relationship All Victims with injuries to the offender victims All* Severe Minor Male 100% 100% 100% 100% Intimate 2.5 3.9 3.2 4.0 Known non-intimate 35.7 39.8 32.7 41.0 Other family member 3.0 4.0 3.5 4.1 Friend/acquaintance 32.6 35.8 29.2 37.0 Stranger 61.8 56.4 64.1 55.0 Female 100% 100% 100% 100% Intimate 21.8 37.4 40.2 37.8 Known non-intimate 42.7 38.6 31.6 38.3 Other family member 6.9 8.1 5.7 8.7 Friend/acquaintance 35.8 30.5 25.8 29.6 Stranger 35.5 24.0 28.2 23.9 Among the victims of intimate partner violence, about half of the females versus one third of the males were injured. Female victims of intimate partner violence were more likely to receive a severe (5%) or minor (42%) injury than females who were victimized by a known non-intimate (2% severe and 22% minor) or a stranger (2% severe and 17% minor). Males victimized by an intimate were more likely to have minor injuries (28%) than males victimized by a known non-intimate (21%) or a stranger (16%). The percentage of males with severe injuries did not differ by relationship to the offender. Victim's gender Percent of victimizations and relationship No Victims with injuries to the offender Total injury All* Severe Minor Total 100% 74.7% 25.3% 3.3% 20.9% Male 100% 77.9% 22.1% 3.8% 18.2% Intimate 100 66.6 33.4 4.8 28.4 Known non-intimate 100 75.4 24.6 3.5 20.9 Other family member 100 71.2 28.8 4.4 24.4 Friend/acquaintance 100 75.8 24.2 3.4 20.6 Stranger 100 79.9 20.1 3.9 16.2 Female 100% 70.5% 29.5% 2.7% 24.5% Intimate 100 49.3 50.7 4.9 42.4 Known non-intimate 100 73.3 26.7 2.0 21.9 Other family member 100 65.5 34.5 2.2 30.5 Friend/acquaintance 100 74.8 25.2 1.9 20.2 Stranger 100 80.0 20.0 2.1 16.5 *Includes rape/sexual assault with unspecified types of injuries. ----------------------------------- Those victimized by a female offender were just as likely to be injured as were those victimized by a male offender (both 25%). However victims of violence by male offenders were significantly more likely than victims of female offenders to be severely injured (3% versus 2%, respectively). Overall, the percent of victims injured as a result of violent crime did not vary substantially by the age or race of the offender. When the offender was thought to have been drinking alcohol or using drugs, the victim was more likely to report being injured and about 2.5 times as likely to report being severely injured as victims of offenders not perceived to be under the influence. Persons who were victimized by a spouse or current or former boyfriend/girlfriend were more likely to be injured than those victimized by an ex-spouse or other family member; those victimized by a friend or acquaintance or stranger were the least likely to be injured. Overall, victims reporting the offender to have been a spouse were 2.5 times more likely to be injured than those reporting the offender to have been a stranger (50% versus 20%, respectively). Victims who reported that the offender had committed a crime against them previously were somewhat more likely to be injured than those reporting that the offender had committed a crime against them for the first time (30% versus 23%, respectively). Over three-fourths of victims of violence reported that there was one offender. Victims were slightly more at risk of a severe injury if there were two or more offenders. Number of offenders Severity of injury 1 2 or more Total 100 % 100 % Not injured 76 73 Injured 24 26 Severe 3 5 Minor 21.0 21 Average annual number of violent victimizations 7,718,510 2,198,720 The sum of the detail may not total to 100% due to rounding. Characteristics of the incident Most victimizations involving injury occurred at night (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.) rather than during the day, and a higher percentage of injuries took place while the victim was inside or near their home compared to other locations examined. Victimizations that took place at night and those that happened while the victims were at home or at the home of a friend, relative, or neighbor were more likely to result in injury than those that took place during the day or in other locations. While about half of violent crimes occurred during the day, nearly two-thirds of violence resulting in severe injury occurred at night. Time of Injured victims of violent All victim violent crime incident of violence All Severe Total 100% 100% 100% Day 52.7 44.8 36.4 Night 47.3 55.2 63.6 ----------------------------------- Firearms-related fatal and nonfatal injuries While NCVS data show that firearms were involved in about 14% of the violent victimizations that resulted in severe nonfatal injuries, Vital Statistics data show that most homicide victims died from injuries caused by firearms. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics, Vital Statistics System, indicate that 72% of the 148,625 homicide victims age 12 or older between 1992 and 1998 died from firearm-related injuries. Percent of victims All violent Severe Type of weapon crime/a injury Homicide Total 100% 100% 100% None 65.5 35.9 4.5 Firearm 10.1 13.7 72.0 Other/b 16.4 44.0 18.6 Unknown/c 8.1 6.4 5.2 Note: The sum of the detail may not total to 100% due to rounding. a/Includes homicide victims. b/Includes knives, sharp or blunt objects, and unspecified types of weapons. c/Weapon presence unknown. ---------------------------------- The highest proportion of injured victims reported that they were at or near their home when they were injured (33%) compared to other locations. Approximately half of injured victims reported that they were at their home or within 1 mile of their home when they were injured. Most violence resulting in injury occurred while the victim was engaged in activities at home (28%) or in leisure activities while away from home (29%). Substantially fewer injuries occurred while the victim was at work (9%) or school (8%). Most nonfatal violent crimes (66%) did not involve a weapon. However 58% of severely injured victims reported the offender(s) having a weapon, usually a knife or other sharp object -- such as a scissors, ice pick, or ax -- or a blunt object such as a rock or club (44% altogether) rather than a firearm (14%). Victims who experienced violence between midnight and 6 a.m. were more likely than persons victimized at other hours to sustain an injury (35%) or to suffer a severe injury (6%). Among those victimized during the day (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), 22% were injured, including 2% with severe injuries. Victimizations occurring between midnight and 6 a.m. were about 2.5 times as likely as victimizations occurring during the day to result in severe injuries. Victimizations that occurred at or near the victim's home or at the home of a friend, relative, or neighbor were more likely to result in injury (32% and 34%, respectively) than victimizations that occurred elsewhere, including open areas or public transportation (23%). As the distance between the location of the incident and the victim's home increased, the risk for injury tended to decrease. While 31% of those victimized at home were physically injured, 21% of those victimized more than 50 miles from home were physically injured. Victims engaged in activities at home or leisure activities away from home at the time of the victimization were more likely to be injured (33% and 31%, respectively) than those victimized while working (12%), shopping (22%), going to and away from home (23%), or attending school (23%). Victims of violent crime were less likely to be injured when the offender had a firearm (15%), compared to crimes by unarmed offenders (26%) or by offenders armed with weapons other than firearms (33%). Victims were more likely to have severe injuries if a firearm (5%) or other weapon (9%) were present than if no weapon was present (2%). Survey methodology This Special Report presents data on nonlethal violence from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The number of homicides are from the National Center for Health Statistics, compiled by the Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of people in the population for these years was determined by data from the Census Bureau. 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 households in the United States. The NCVS provides information about victims (age, gender, race, ethnicity, marital status, income, and educational level), offenders (gender, race, approximate age, and victim-offender relationship), and characteristics of victimizations (time and place of occurrence, use of weapons, and nature of injury). Standard error computations Comparisons made in this Special Report were tested to determine if observed differences were statistically significant. Differences described as higher, lower, or different passed a hypothesis test at the .05 level of statistical significance (95% confidence level). That is, the tested difference was greater than twice the standard error of that difference. For comparisons which were statistically significant at the 0.10 level (90% confidence level), "somewhat," "marginally," or "slightly" is used to note the nature of the difference. ------------------------------------ Overall patterns and analytical considerations Data from self-report surveys are subject to nonsampling error.***Footnote 1: Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1994. Appendix II, Survey Methodology for a Discussion of Nonsampling Error. BJS. May 1997, NCJ 162126.*** Among the sources of nonsampling error is misreporting by respondents, both deliberate and unintentional. This is particularly important for estimates of sexual violence and victimization by intimates. NCVS data presented in this report were collected using redesigned questionnaires incorporating improvements that address concerns about these sources of nonsampling error.***Footnote 2: Violence Against women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey. BJS. November 1994, NCJ 149259.*** Some have suggested that the subgroups of the population at greatest risk for victimization and injury, such as youth, minorities, and those with lower household incomes, may be less willing to participate in NCVS interviews. Refusal to participate could result in an underestimate of the victimization and injury rates for these groups.***Footnote 3: Cook, Phillip J. "The Case of the Missing Victims: Gunshot Woundings in the National Crime Survey." Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Vol. 1, pp.91-102, 1985.*** However, overall NCVS participation rates, 1992-98, ranged from 93% to 96% of eligible households and from 89% to 94% of eligible individuals. The Census Bureau adjusts the weighting procedures for the National Crime Victimization Survey to account for nonresponse. The data presented are limited to patterns between pairs of variables; however, many of the factors examined are interrelated. A multivariate analysis is necessary to determine whether the patterns observed are independent. ------------------------------------ Caution is required when comparing estimates not explicitly discussed in this Special Report. What may appear to be large differences may not test as statistically significant at the 95% or even the 90% confidence level. Significance testing calculations were conducted at BJS using statistical programs developed specifically for the NCVS by the Census Bureau. These programs consider the complex NCVS sample design when calculating generalized variance estimates. ---------------------------------- Generating confidence intervals Below are the formulas for testing differences in percentages or rates of a single response variable with the same base. This formula calculates the standard error of the difference between two percentages derived from a single response variable with the same base: (See the report for formula) The following example illustrates the use of these formulas. The proportion of violent victimizations resulting in severe injuries was 3.4% (p1), and the proportion resulting in minor injuries was 20.8% (p2) out of an annual average total of 10,201,080 violent crime victimizations. Substituting the appropriate values into the formula gives: The confidence interval around the difference at one standard error is from -16.2% (-17.4%+1.2%) to -18.6% (-17.4%-1.2%). The ratio of the difference (-0.174%) to its standard error (0.012) is (-.174/0.012) or -14.5. Since 14.5 is greater than 2.0, the difference between these two percentages is statistically significant at a confidence level exceeding 95%. ---------------------------------- Glossary Aggravated assault -- Attack or attempted attack with a weapon, regardless of whether or not an injury occurred, or attack without a weapon when severe injury results. Incident -- A specific criminal act involving one or more victims and offenders. For example, if two people are robbed at the same time and place, this is classified as two robbery victimizations but only one robbery incident. Minor injury -- Includes bruises, black eye, cuts, scratches, swelling, chipped teeth, and undetermined injuries requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. Rape -- Forced sexual intercourse, including psychological coercion or physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s). This category also includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such as a bottle. Includes attempted rapes, male and female victims, and both heterosexual and homosexual rape. Attempted rape includes verbal threats of rape. For the NCVS completed rape is always considered to involve injury. Attempted rape may or may not involve injury. Robbery -- Completed or attempted theft, directly from a person, of property or cash by force or threat of force, with or without a weapon, and with or without injury. Severe injury -- Includes gunshot or knife wounds, broken bones, loss of teeth, internal injuries, loss of consciousness, or undetermined injuries requiring 2 or more days of hospitalization. Sexual assault -- A wide range of victimizations, separate from rape or attempted rape. These crimes include attacks or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between victim and offender. Sexual assaults may or may not involve force and include such things as grabbing or fondling. Sexual assault includes verbal threats and may or may not involve injury. Simple assault -- Attack without a weapon resulting in no injury, minor injury (such as bruises, black eyes, cuts, scratches, or swelling) or in undetermined injury requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. Includes verbal threats and attempted assault without a weapon. Victimization -- A crime as it affects one individual person. The number of victimizations is equal to the number of victims involved. The number of victimizations may be greater than the number of incidents because more than one person may be victimized during an incident. Victimization rate -- A measure of the occurrence of victimizations among a specified population group. This rate is based on the number of victimizations per 1,000 residents age 12 or older. Violence, crimes of -- Rape, sexual assault, personal robbery, or assault as measured by the NCVS. This category includes both attempted and completed crimes. Homicide data are from the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is acting director. BJS Special Reports address a specific topic in depth from one or more datasets that cover many topics. Thomas Simon, CDC Behavioral Scientist, James Mercy, CDC Behavioral Scientist, and Craig Perkins, BJS Statistician, wrote this report under the supervision of Michael Rand, Chief, Victimization Statistics Unit of BJS. Tom Hester and Ellen Goldberg produced and edited the report. Jayne Robinson administered final production. June 2001, NCJ 168633 End of file 06/21/01 ih