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National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

Historical Perspective on the National Crime Victimization Survey…50 Years of Data and Counting

By Stephanie Eckroth, PhD
BJS Technical Writer-Editor

In coming together to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) this year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is taking a moment to reflect on the survey’s history.

The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA), BJS’s predecessor, fielded the first iteration of the NCVS (then the National Crime Survey) in July 1972. The...

Subnational Estimates Program

Background

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization. Learn more about the NCVS here.

The NCVS was originally designed to provide national-level estimates of criminal victimization. Since its inception in 1973, BJS has recognized the need for victimization data at the state and/or local levels. The three major reviews of the NCVS program point to the...