1997-98 Academy Text Supplement

Chapter 1


The Scope of Violent Crime and Victimization

Statistical Overview

1992 42,834,000 1995 38,446,000

1993 43,547,000 1996 36,796,000 (Ibid.)

1994 42,362,000

Interpreting Crime Statistics

The crime statistics summarized above are from the Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey, conducted annually by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Each year, BJS interviews 100,000 people aged 12 or older about crimes they experienced during the previous six months. The survey includes both crimes reported to police and those that go unreported. Because the BJS survey includes unreported crime, there are differences between data collected by the BJS survey and FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, which are based on police reports of crime.

Summary of FBI Crime Statistics

In the United States, according to the FBI, on average there is:

The Cost of Crime

In February of 1996, the National Institute of Justice released the first comprehensive report on the cost of victimization, utilizing sources well beyond those related to Uniform Crime Reports. As a result of the data gathered from criminal justice agencies, medical professionals, hospitals, insurance companies, mental health professionals, crime victim compensation programs, and crime victims, there is significant information about the immediate, short-term, and long-term financial impact of victimization. Highlights of the study's findings include:

Summary of Additional Data:

The Physical Impact of Violence

Increasingly, attention is being focused upon the impact of violent crime on our nation's health care system. The following statistics relate to the treatment of victims' physical injuries related to violent crime:

Violence-related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Rooms

In August of 1997, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released a Bulletin entitled Violence-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments, which presented findings from a study conducted using the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) program of violence-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in 1994. These findings, as reported in the Bulletin, include the following:

eight percent by a parent, child, sibling, or other relative; 23 percent by a friend or acquaintance; and 23 percent by strangers. In almost 30 percent of all cases in the study, the relationship of the person inflicting the injury to the patient was not recorded for the study.

Perceptions of Neighborhood Crime

In April of 1998, the Bureau of Justice Statistics within the U.S. Department of Justice released a special report entitled Perceptions of Neighborhood Crime, 1995. The following data are from this report:

The researchers noted that the public's perceptions of crime vulnerability generally reflected the actual likelihood of criminal victimization. For example:

(DeFrances, C., & Smith, S. (1998, April). "Perceptions of Neighborhood Crime, 1995," NCJ-165811. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Losses per Criminal Victimization (Including Attempts)

Medical Care/ Mental Police/ Social/ Prop. Loss Subtotal: Quality

Productivity Ambulance Health Care Fire Svcs Victim Svcs Damage Tangible Losses of Life Total

Fatal Crime

Rape, Assault, etc. $1,000,000 $16,300 $4,800 $1,300 $ 0 $ 120 $1,030,000 $1,910,000 $2,940,000

Arson Deaths 724,000 17,600 4,800 1,900 0 21,600 770,000 1,970,000 2,740,000

DWI 1,150,000 18,300 4,800 740 0 9,700 1,180,000 1,995,000 3,180,000

Child Abuse 2,200 430 2,500 29 1,800 10 7,931 52,371 60,000

SexualAbuse (incl.rape) 2,100 490 5,800 56 1,100 0 9,500 89,800 99,000

Physical Abuse 3,400 790 2,700 20 2,100 26 9,000 57,500 67,000

Emotional Abuse 900 0 2,700 20 2,100 0 5,700 21,100 27,000

Rape & Sexual Assault

(excluding Child Abuse) 2,200 500 2,200 37 27 100 5,100 81,400 87,000

Other Assault or Attempt 950 425 76 60 16 26 1,550 7,800 9,400

NCVS with Injury 3,100 1,470 97 84 46 39 4,800 19,300 24,000

Age 0-11 with Injury 2,800 1,470 100 84 46 39 4,600 28,100 33,000

Non-NCVS Domestic 760 310 81 0 0 39 1,200 10,000 11,000

No Injury 70 0 65 69 9 15 200 1,700 2,000

Robbery or Attempt 950 370 66 130 25 750 2,300 5,700 8,000

With Injury 2,500 1,000 65 160 44 1,400 5,200 13,800 19,000

No Injury 75 0 66 110 15 400 700 1,300 2,000

Drunk Driving 2,800 1,400 82 40 ? 1,600 6,000 11,900 18,000

With Injury 12,100 6,400 82 120 ? 3,600 22,300 48,400 71,000

No Injury 170 0 82 17 0 1,000 1,300 1,400 2,700

Arson 1,750 1,100 18 1,000 ? 15,500 19,500 18,000 37,500

With Injury 15,400 10,000 24 1,000 ? 22,400 49,000 153,000 202,000

No Injury 8 0 18 1,000 0 14,600 16,000 500 16,000

Larceny or Attempt 8 0 6 80 1 270 370 0 370

Burglary or Attempt 12 0 5 130 5 970 1,100 300 1,400

Motor Vehicle Theft or Attempt 45 0 5 140 0 3,300 3,500 300 3,700

*Child Neglect 25 3 910 2 840 0 1,800 7,900 9,700

Source: National Institute of Justice. (1995, February). "Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look." National Institute of Justice Research Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

Notes: All estimates in 1996 dollars. Totals may not add due to rounding. Major categories are in bold, subcategories listed under bold headings. ? = unknown.

*Non-educational child neglect is not included in any of the total figures in the remaining tables. See text.