U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Criminal Victimization, 2002 August 2003, NCJ 199994 -------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics an 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/cv02.htm
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By
Callie Marie Rennison, Ph.D.
Michael R. Rand
BJS Statisticians
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HIGHLIGHTS
The National Crime Victimization Survey reveals
long-term declines in victimization to the lowest
per capita rates in nearly 30 years
* Overall violent victimization and property crime
rates in 2002 are the lowest recorded since the
inception of the NCVS in 1973.***Footnote 1: Based
on adjustments to pre-1992 estimates to account
for the 1992 redesign of the NCVS.***
* In 2002 the rate for rape was 0.4 per 1,000
persons age 12 or older, 60% of the 1993 rate.
* For the decade the rate for robbery was down
63%, falling to 2 per 1,000 in 2002.
* From 1993 to 2002 victimization by aggravated
assault, associated with serious injury or weapons,
declined 64% to 4 per 1,000. The rate of simple
assault -- a crime that involves neither serious injury
nor weapon -- fell 47%.
* The rate of violent crime dropped 21% from the
period 1999-2000 to the period 2001-02.
* Reporting to the police increased from 43% of all
violent crimes in 1993 to 49% in 2002; reporting of
property crimes increased from 34% to 40%.
* Violent crimes against females were more likely to
have been reported to the police than those against
males.
* The relative increase in reporting crime to the
police was greater for rape/sexual assault than it
was for robbery or simple assault, 1993-2002.
* During 2002, 7% of violent crime victims faced an
offender armed with a firearm.
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In 2002 U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced about
23.0 million violent and property victimizations, according
to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). These
criminal victimizations included an estimated 17.5
million property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft,
and theft), 5.3 million violent crimes (rape, sexual
assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault),
and 155,000 personal thefts (pocket picking and purse
snatching).
The 23.0 million criminal victimizations in 2002
continued a downward trend that began in 1994.
Criminal victimization estimates are the lowest since
the 1973 estimate of 44 million victimizations when
the NCVS began.
Between 1993 and 2002 the violent crime rate has
decreased 54%, from 50 to 23 victimizations per
1,000 persons age 12 or older, and the property
crime rate declined 50% (from 319 to 159 crimes per
1,000 households).
In 2002 victims reported to police 49% of the violent
crime and 40% of the property crime they experienced.
The proportion of crime reported to the police has
increased since 1993, when victims indicated that 43%
of the violent crime and 34% of the property crime
had been reported to the police.
Criminal victimization, 2001-02
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
in the United States. Information on homicide comes from
the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)Program of the FBI.
Crimes measured by the NCVS
Violent crimes refer to rape/sexual assault, robbery,
aggravated assault, and simple assault taken as a
whole. Property crimes refer to household burglary,
motor vehicle theft, and theft considered together.
Though decreased crime rates and reductions in the
NCVS sample size have made it more difficult for the
NCVS to detect statistically significant year-to-year
changes in crime rates, the decline in crime rates
2001-02 were consistent with the declining trend
exhibited since 1994.
The violent crime rate declined somewhat from 25 to
23 victimizations per 1,000 persons, 2001-02.
Aggravated assault rates fell significantly, robbery
rates fell marginally, and rape/sexual assault and
simple assault rates did not change, 2001-02. Between
2001 and 2002 the property crime rate fell from 167
to 159 crimes per 1,000 households. While the rate of
property theft fell significantly, no statistically
significant change in the rate of burglary or motor
vehicle theft was measured.
Murder/nonnegligent manslaughter
Based on preliminary 2002 data from the FBI, the number
of persons murdered in the United States increased 0.8%
between 2001 and 2002. In 2001, 15,980 persons were
murdered; the estimate for 2002 is about 16,110 victims
of murder.
Preliminary data suggest that increases in the number of
murders occurred in the South (+2.1%) and the West
(+5.2%). Declines in the number of murders were
measured in the Northeast (-4.8%) and the Midwest
(-2.8%).
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Murder and victim characteristics, 2001
In 2001, the year in which the most recent comprehensive
data are available, the FBI reported a total of 15,980
murders or nonnegligent homicides. The total represents
a 1.3% increase from the 15,586 murders recorded in 2000.
The FBI defines murder in its annual Crime in the United
States as the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human
being by another. Not included are deaths caused by
negligence, suicide, or accident; justifiable homicides;
and attempts to murder or assaults to murder, which are
scored as aggravated assaults. The FBI's Uniform Crime
Reporting (UCR) program gathers statistics on murder from
over 17,000 city, county, and State law enforcement
agencies.
Though the rate and level of homicide changes year
to year, the relationship between victim characteristics
and homicide tends to remain the same.
For example, as in previous years, in 2001--
* Most murder victims were male (76%).
* When the race of the murder victim was known,
about half were white (49.1%), and about half were
black (46.9%).
* When information on the victim/offender
relationship was available, 76% of the offenders
were known to the victim, and strangers murdered
24% of victims.
* Firearms were used in the majority of murders
(63%).
* Offenders were most often male (90%), and most
often adults (92%).
* Homicide generally is intra-racial.
* Arguments were the most often cited circumstance
leading to murder (28%).
* Homicides occurred in connection with another felony
(such as robbery or narcotics) in 17% of incidents.
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Criminal victimization, 1999-2000 and 2001-02
Comparing 2-year average annual rates (see box
below) shows that for every category of crime except
rape/ sexual assault and motor vehicle theft the
average annual rates were significantly lower in
2001-02 than in 1999-2000. The average annual
rate of rape/sexual assault was slightly lower in
2001-02 than in 1999-2000.
The average annual overall violent victimization rate
declined 21% from 30 to 24 victimizations per 1,000
persons per year, 1999-2000 to 2001-02. During the
same time robbery rates fell 27%, aggravated assault
rates fell 23%, and simple assault rates fell 19%.
Property rates declined 13% from 188 to 163 crimes
per 1,000 households per year, comparing 1999-2000
to 2001-02. Over the same period of comparison,
burglary and property theft rates declined 14%.
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Estimating change in crime victimization rates
Since 1995, the NCVS has undergone sample reductions
because of the escalating costs of data collection.
At the same time, the rate of violence has continued
to decline. 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 gives the reader a picture
of the continuing decline in rates seen over the last
few years. For those who rely upon the annual detailed
table of victimization counts and per capita rates, those
data are located on the BJS website at <www.ojp.usdoj.
gov/bjs/abstract/cv02.htm>.
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Characteristics of the crime victim, from
1999-2000 to 2001-02
Violent crime
The rate of violent crime experienced by males, females,
whites, blacks and non-Hispanics fell significantly,
1999-2000 compared to 2001-02. The rate of violence
against Hispanics fell somewhat during the same period.
Rates of violent victimization remained statistically
similar between 1999-2000 and 2001-02 for persons of
"other races.***Footnote 2: In this report,"Other races"
are defined as Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific
Islanders, Alaska Natives, and American Indians considered
together.***
Violence against never married, married, and divorced/
separated persons fell 1999-2000 compared to 2001-02.
The apparent increase in the rate of violent victimization
experienced by widowed persons was not significant.
For persons under age 35 and those between ages 50 and
64, violent crime fell significantly, from 1999-2000 to
2001-02. A slight decline was measured for persons between
ages 35 and 49. No change in the rate of violent
victimization against persons age 65 or older was measured
between 1999-2000 and 2001-02.
No clear pattern in short-term changes for income was
measured. However, significant declines in the rate of
violent victimization against persons in households
earning more than $50,000 annually were measured between
1999-2000 and 2001-02. Persons in households earning less
than $7,500 and those in households earning between
$25,000 and $34,999 also experienced violence at lower
rates in 2001-02 compared to 1999-2000. A slight decline
in the rate of violence was noted for those in households
earning between $7,500 and $14,999, while no change
was observed for households earning between $15,000
and $24,999.
Violent crime decreased in every region and type of
area of the Nation, from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.
Property crime
Except for households in the category of $7,500-
$14,999 annual income, all households experienced
property crime at rates lower during 2001-02 than
during 1999-2000. The apparent decline in rates
for households earning $7,500-$14,999 was not
statistically significant.
Property crime rates fell, from 1999-2000 to
2001-02, regardless of the region. The largest
decline occurred in the Northeast where property
crime rates fell 21% over the period.
Property crime for households in urban, suburban,
and rural areas declined from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.
The average annual property crime rates for
households fell 13% from 1999-2000 to 2001-2002
for both resident owners and renters.
Victimization trends, 1993-2002
The rate of every major violent and property crime
measured in the NCVS - rape/sexual assault, robbery
aggravated assault, simple assault, burglary, theft,
and motor vehicle theft - fell significantly between
1993 and 2002.
Violent crime
The overall violent crime rate fell 54% from 50 to 23
violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older
between 1993 and 2002. Other significant declines were
measured in rates of rape/sexual assault (down 56%),
robbery (down 63%), aggravated assault (down 64%), and
simple assault (down 47%).
Property crime
From 1993 through 2002, the rate of overall property crime
declined significantly, as did the rate for each major type
of property crime considered. The household burglary rate
fell 52%; the motor vehicle theft rate fell 53%; and rate
of property theft fell 49%. Attempted motor vehicle theft
was marked by one of the largest percentage rate decreases
(71%) of all categories of property crime examined,
1993-2002.
Characteristics of victims, 1993-2002
Without exception declines in violent victimization
were experienced by persons in all demographic
categories considered -- gender, race, Hispanic
origin, and household income, 1993-2002.
While males and females both experienced drops in
violence between 1993 and 2002, the rate at which
violence fell differed.
The rate of violence against males fell to a greater
degree than did the rate of violence against women,
1993-2002.
The decline in violent crime rates for whites, blacks
and persons of other races were statistically equal,
1993-2002.
With three exceptions, persons across all income
categories examined experienced similar declines in
violent crime, 1993-2002. The exceptions are that
persons living in households earning between
$50,000 and $74,999 annually experienced a drop
in violent crime that was significantly larger than
those in households with annual incomes between
$15,000 to $24,999, and somewhat larger than
those in households with incomes between $7,500
and $14,999, and between $25,000 and $34,999,
1993-2002.
Property crime rates fell for every demographic
group considered, 1993-2002.
Though all groups experienced significant decreases
in property crime over time, some experienced greater
declines in rates than others. For example, property
crime rates for households that rent showed a smaller
decline than rates for households that own a home.
Households having an annual income greater than
$50,000 experienced larger drops in property crime
rates than did households with lower incomes. And
households with annual incomes of between $25,000 and
$34,999 experienced a steeper drop in rates than the
households with incomes of less than $25,000 annually.
The rate of property crime for households in urban
areas decreased less than did the rate for
households in suburban areas, and somewhat less
than the rate for households in rural areas,
1993-2002. Property crime rates in suburban and
rural areas each dropped by half.
Households in all regions experienced similar
decreases in property crime rates, 1993-2002.
Characteristics of violent crime victims, 2002
Persons who have been historically the most
vulnerable to violent victimization in the past --
males, blacks, and youths -- continued to be
victimized at rates higher than others in 2002.
Gender of victim
Males were victims of overall violent crime, robbery,
total assault, simple assault, and aggravated assault
at rates higher than those of females. Females were
more likely than males to be victims of rape/sexual
assault. While males and females were victims of
simple assault at similar rates during 2001, males
were victimized at a higher rate than females during
2002.
Race of victim
Blacks were victims of overall violence, rape/sexual
assault, robbery, and aggravated assault at rates
higher than those for whites in 2002. Blacks were
also victims of overall violence, total assault, and
aggravated assault at rates significantly higher than
those for persons of "other races." Blacks were
victims of simple assault at a rate somewhat higher
than the rate for "others."
Whites were victims of overall violence, total assault,
aggravated and simple assault at rates higher than
"others."
Hispanic origin of victim
Hispanics and non-Hispanics were victims of
violence at similar rates during 2002, with one
exception: Hispanics were more likely than
non-Hispanics to be victims of aggravated assault.
Age of victim
During 2002 rates of overall violence differed
between all adjacent age categories. Persons age
16 to 19 experienced overall violence, rape/ sexual
assault, and assault overall at rates at least slightly
higher than rates for persons in other age
categories. Persons age 16 to 19 and age 20 to 24
were victims of aggravated assault at similar rates,
and at rates higher than those for persons in other
age categories. Persons age 12 to 15 and age 16 to
19 experienced simple assault at similar rates, and
their rates of simple assault were at least slightly
higher than rates for all other age categories.
Persons age 12 to 15, 16 to 19 and 20 to 24 were
more likely than persons in other age categories to
be robbed.
Household income
During 2002 persons in households with an annual
income under $7,500 were more likely to be victims
of overall violence and of aggravated assault than
members of households with higher incomes.
Members of households that earned below $7,500 a
year, experienced simple assault at a rate somewhat
higher than the rates for persons in households at all
other income levels.
Individuals in households earning between $7,500 and
$49,999 annually were victims of violence and aggravated
assault at similar rates. Those rates were higher than
the rates for persons in households earning above $49,999
in the year.
Individuals in households earning below $50,000 in
the year were victims of rape/sexual assault at rates
higher than rates for persons in households earning
$50,000 or more annually.
Persons with household incomes below $75,000
annually were more likely to be robbed than were
persons with higher annual household incomes.
Apparent differences in the rate of robbery across
income categories less than $75,000 were not
statistically significant.
Marital status
During 2002 persons who had never married were victims
of violent crime overall, rape/sexual assault, total
assault, and simple assault at rates higher than those
for married, widowed, or divorced/separated persons.
Persons who had never married and those who were
divorced/separated were victims of robbery and of
aggravated assault at similar rates.
Region
Western and Midwestern residents were victimized
by violent crime overall and total assault at similar
rates and at rates higher than residents in the South
and Northeast, 2002. Northeastern and Southern
residents were victims of violent crime overall,
rape/sexual assault, total assault, and simple assault
at similar rates, 2002.
With one exception, no regional differences between
the rates of rape/sexual assault emerged. Western
residents were victims of rape/sexual assault at a
higher rate than that for residents of the Northeast
during 2002.
No regional differences between robbery rates were
observed with the exception that Southerners were
more likely than Northeasterners to be robbed.
With a single exception, no differences between the
regional rates of aggravated assault were measured:
Residents in the Northeast had a rate lower than
those for all other regions.
Residence
For all types of violent crime considered, urban
residents were victimized at rates higher than rates
for suburban and rural residents during 2002.
With the sole exception of robbery, suburban and
rural residents were victims of violence at statistically
similar rates during 2002. Suburban residents were
robbed at a higher rate than rural residents.
Characteristics of victims of property
crime, 2002
Annual household income
Overall property crime rates did not differ by annual
household income. However, the relationship between
annual household income and property crime rates did
vary by specific types of property crime.
Households with an annual income below $7,500 were
burglarized at a rate higher than the rate for
households with higher incomes. Households with
incomes greater than $7,500 annually were
burglarized at statistically similar rates, 2002.
Households with an income under $7,500 were less
likely than other households to experience motor
vehicle theft. Those having an income of $75,000 or
above were slightly less likely to be victimized by
such theft.
Region, locality, and home ownership
Western households were victims of overall property
crime at the highest rate while households in the
Northeast sustained property crime at the lowest rate
of all regions, 2002. Southern and Midwestern
households were victims of property crime at similar
rates.
Northeastern households were less likely to be
burglarized than households in other regions. The
Midwest, South, and West had similar 2002 rates of
burglary.
Western households were victims of motor vehicle
theft at rates higher than those for other regions.
Western households experienced theft at the highest
regional rate; Northeastern households, at the
lowest. Theft rates for Southern and Midwestern
households were similar during 2002.
Urban households were victims of each type of
property crime at rates higher than those for
suburban and rural households, 2002. Except for
burglary, suburban households were victims of each
type of property crime at rates higher than rural
household rates. Rural and suburban households
were burglarized at statistically similar rates,
2002.
Characteristics of the crime event
Victim-offender relationship
Females were most often victimized by someone
they knew while males were more likely to be
victimized by a stranger during 2002.
Of those offenders victimizing females, 40% were
described as friends/ acquaintances, 20% as
intimates, and 7% as some other relative. Strangers
to the victim committed 31% of the violence against
females.
In contrast, of those offenders victimizing males,
37% were described as friends/acquaintances, 3%
as intimates, and 4% as some other relative.
Strangers committed 56% of the violence against
males.
Robbery was the crime most likely to be committed
by a stranger for both male and female victims.
Presence of weapons
During 2002, 71% of all violent crime victims did not
face an armed offender. However, the presence of
a weapon during a violent crime was related to the
type of crime. For example, rape and sexual assault
victims were the least likely (7%) and robbery victims
the most likely (46%), to face an armed offender.
The type of weapon also varied by the type of
violence. Four percent of victims of rape/sexual
assault faced an offender armed with a firearm,
compared to 25% of robbery victims. An offender
brandishing a knife confronted 2% of rape/sexual
assault victims and 12% of robbery victims.
Reporting to the police
During 2002, 49% of all violent victimizations and
40% of all property crimes were reported to the
police. The percentage of crime reported differed
based on the specific type of crime considered. For
example, 71% of robberies were brought to the
attention of police, while 43% of simple assaults
were reported to the police in 2002.
Motor vehicle theft continued to be the property
crime most often reported to the police (86%).
Fifty-eight percent of burglaries and 33% of thefts
were reported to the police, 2002.
Reporting and victim characteristics
The violent victimization of a female was more likely
to be reported to the police than was the
victimization of a male during 2002. This difference
in reporting for males and females existed for
violence against white, black, and non-Hispanic
victims. Violence against females of "other races"
was reported to police in slightly higher percentages
than was violence against males of "other races."
The apparent difference in reporting of violence
against Hispanic males and females was not significant,
2002.
Among male victims the percentage of violence
reported to the police did not differ across racial
categories or by Hispanic origin.
With one exception among female victims there were
no differences between the percentages across
racial categories or by Hispanic origin of crimes
reported to the police. Violent crimes against black
females were more likely to be reported to the police
than those against white females.
Reporting crime to the police, 1993-2002
Except for aggravated assault, the percentages of all
types of property and violent crimes reported to the
police increased significantly, 1993-2002. No
statistically significant change in reporting was
measured for aggravated assault.
The increases in reporting varied by type of crime.
The relative increase in reporting crime to the police
was greater for rape/sexual assault than it was for
robbery or simple assault, 1993-2002.
The relative increases of reporting to police of
burglary (from 50% in 1993 to 58% in 2002), motor
vehicle theft (from 75% to 86%), and theft (from 26%
to 33%) were statistically similar. (For further
discussion see Reporting Crime to the Police,
1992-2000,
<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/rcp00htm>.)
Survey methodology
This Bulletin presents data on non-lethal violence
and property crimes from the National Crime
Victimization Survey (NCVS), and data on homicide
from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. In
2002, 42,340 households and 76,050 people age 12 or
older were interviewed. For the 2002 NCVS data presented
here, the response rate was 92.4% of eligible households
and 87.3% of eligible individuals. See <www.ojp.usdoj.gov/
bjs/abstracts/cv02.htm> for additional information on
methodology, standard error calculations, and definitions.
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The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical
agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence
A. Greenfeld is director. Callie Marie Rennison and
Michael R. Rand, BJS Statisticians, wrote this report.
Cathy T. Maston provided statistical review.
Marianne Zawitz produced the Highlight figures.
August 2002, NCJ 199994
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08/13/03 ih
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