U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics

October 2013, NCJ 243389

Jennifer Truman, Ph.D., Lynn Langton, Ph.D., and Michael Planty, Ph.D., BJS Statisticians

I

n 2012, for the second consecutive year, violent
and property crime rates increased for U.S.
residents age 12 or older, according to the
Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime
Victimization Survey (NCVS). The overall violent
crime rate (which includes rape or sexual assault,
robbery, aggravated and simple assault) rose from
22.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons in 2011 to
26.1 in 2012 (figure 1). Violent victimizations that
were not reported to police increased from a rate of
10.8 per 1,000 persons in 2011 to 14.0 in 2012 and
accounted for the majority of the increase in total
violence. The apparent increase in the rate of violent
crimes reported to police from 2011 to 2012 was not
statistically significant.
The overall property crime rate (which includes
household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft)
increased from 138.7 per 1,000 households in 2011
to 155.8 per 1,000 in 2012. Similar to violent crime,
the rate for property crime not reported to police
increased during the period, from 86.1 to 101.9
victimizations per 1,000 households. However, there
was no statistically significant change in the rate of
property crime victimization reported to police.

Figure 1
Violent victimization reported and not reported to
police, 1993–2012

Bul l etin

Criminal Victimization, 2012

Rate per 1,000 persons age 12 or older
100
80
60

Total violent crime
Not reported
to police

40
20
0

Reported to police
'93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06* '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Note: See appendix table 1 for estimates and standard errors.
*Due to methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when
comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See
Criminal Victimization, 2007, NCJ 224390, BJS web, December 2008, for
more information.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey,
1993–2012.

HIGHLIGHTS
„„ The rate of violent victimization increased from 22.6

victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in
2011 to 26.1 in 2012. Crime not reported to police
and simple assault accounted for the majority of
this increase.
„„ Violent victimizations not reported police increased

from 10.8 per 1,000 persons in 2011 to 14.0 in 2012.
„„ The apparent increase in the number and rate of

serious violent crime from 2011 to 2012 was not
statistically significant.
„„ The rate of property crime increased from 138.7 per

1,000 households in 2011 to 155.8 in 2012.

„„ From 2011 to 2012, there were no statistically

significant changes in the rates of domestic violence,
violence involving an injury, or firearm violence.
„„ In 2012, 44% of violent victimizations and 54% of

serious violent victimizations were reported to police.
„„ There was no significant change in the percentage

of crime victims receiving assistance from victim
service agencies from 2011 to 2012 (about 8%).
„„ Violent crime rates increased slightly in 2012 for

blacks but remained stable for whites and Hispanics.
„„ In 2012, residents in urban areas continued to

experience the highest rate of violent crime.

BJS

Increase in simple assault accounted for majority of the
rise in total violence from 2011 to 2012
The rate of violent crime increased from 22.6 victimizations
per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 2011 to 26.1 per 1,000 in
2012 (table 1). The number of violent victimizations rose from
5.8 million in 2011 to 6.8 million in 2012. When examined
by crime type, this increase in the rate and number of violent

crimes was largely due to an increase in simple assault. In
2012, the rate of simple assault was 18.2 per 1,000, up from
15.4 in 2011. The apparent increase in the rate of serious
violent crime—defined as rape or sexual assault, robbery,
and aggravated assault—to 8.0 per 1,000 was not statistically
significant. In 2012, the rates of serious violent crime and
simple assault were lower than in 2003.

Table 1
Violent victimization, by type of violent crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Violent crimeb
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Assault
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Domestic violencec
Intimate partner violenced
Violent crime involving injury

2003
7,679,050
325,310
708,380
6,645,360
1,362,270
5,283,100
1,480,920
1,040,290
2,029,200

Number
2011
5,812,520
244,190
557,260
5,011,080
1,053,390
3,957,690
1,354,910
850,770
1,450,650

2012
6,842,590 †
346,830
741,760 ‡
5,754,010 ‡
996,110
4,757,900 †
1,259,390
810,790
1,573,460

2003
32.1
1.4
3.0
27.8
5.7
22.1
6.2
4.3
8.5

Ratea
2011
22.6
0.9
2.2
19.5
4.1
15.4
5.3
3.3
5.6

2012
26.1 †
1.3
2.8 ‡
22.0
3.8
18.2 †
4.8
3.1
6.0

Serious violent crimee
Serious domestic violencec
Serious intimate partner violenced
Serious violent crime involving weapons
Serious violent crime involving injury

2,395,950
650,650
498,470
1,695,680
953,740

1,854,840
369,040
262,660
1,194,420
689,810

2,084,690
411,080
270,240
1,415,120
762,170

10.0
2.7
2.1
7.1
4.0

7.2
1.4
1.0
4.6
2.7

8.0
1.6
1.0
5.4
2.9

Note: Detail may not sum to total due to rounding. Total population age 12 or older was 239,305,990 in 2003; 257,542,240 in 2011; and 261,996,320 in 2012. See appendix table
2 for standard errors.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at 95% confidence level.
‡ Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at 90% confidence level.
aPer 1,000 persons age 12 or older.
bIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
cIncludes victimization committed by intimate partners (current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends) and family members.
dIncludes victimization committed by current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends.
eIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
The NCVS collects information on nonfatal crimes reported
and not reported to the police against persons age 12 or older
from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households.
It produces national rates and levels of violent and property
victimization, as well as information on the characteristics of
crimes and victims, and the consequences of victimization.
Since the NCVS is based on interviews with victims, it does not
measure homicide.

Victimization is the basic unit of analysis used throughout
this report. Victimization is a crime as it affects one person or
household. For personal crimes, the number of victimizations
is equal to the number of victims present during a criminal
incident. The number of victimizations may be greater than the
number of incidents because more than one person may be
victimized during an incident. Each crime against a household is
counted as having a single victim, the affected household.

The NCVS measures the violent crimes of rape or sexual assault,
robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. The NCVS
classifies rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault
as serious violent crimes. Property crimes include household
burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft. The survey also measures
personal larceny, which includes pick pocketing and purse
snatching. For additional estimates not included in this report, see
the NCVS Victimization Analysis Tool (NVAT) on the BJS website.

The victimization rate is a measure of the occurrence of
victimizations among a specified population group. For
personal crimes, this is based on the number of victimizations
per 1,000 residents age 12 or older. For household crimes, the
victimization rate is calculated using the number of incidents
per 1,000 households.

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2

No significant change in the rate of domestic
violence from 2011 to 2012
The rate of domestic violence—crime committed by intimate
partners and family members—remained stable from 2011
to 2012 (5 per 1,000) (table 1). No measurable change was
detected from 2011 to 2012 in rates of intimate partner
violence—victimizations committed by current or former
spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends—(3 per 1,000) or rates of
serious violent crime involving weapons (5 per 1,000) or injury
to the victim (3 per 1,000). The rates of serious violent crime
involving weapons or injury to the victim in 2012 were lower
than rates in 2003.

No significant change in firearm violence from
2011 to 2012
There was no measurable change in the rate of firearm violence
from 2011 to 2012 and from 2003 to 2012 (table 2). In 2003,
2011, and 2012, the rate of firearm violence was approximately
2.0 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. In 2012,
firearms were used in about 7% of all violent crime incidents.
This percentage has been relatively stable over the past decade.
In 2012, about 66% of all serious violent crimes that involved
a firearm were reported to police. There was no measurable
change in the rates of firearm violence reported and not
reported to police from 2011 to 2012.

The homicide rate declined 48% from
1993 to 2011
Since the NCVS interviews victims of crimes, homicide
is not included in nonfatal victimization estimates.
Homicide rates are based on data from the Center for
Disease Control’s Vital Statistics System.1 From 1993 to
2011, the rate of homicide declined 48%, from 9.9 to 5.1
homicides per 100,000 persons (figure 2). Over the past
10 years, from 2002 to 2011, the rate declined from 6.1
to 5.1 homicides per 100,000, with the majority of the
decline occurring from 2008 to 2011.
1The

CDC’s Vital Statistics are one of two national sources of data on
homicide victimization. Rates of homicide are also available through
the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Report (SHR). Rates of homicide
may differ slightly depending on which source is used.

Figure 2
Homicide victimization, 1993–2011
Rate per 100,000 persons
15

10

Table 2
Firearm violence, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Firearm incidents
Firearm victimizations
Rate of firearm violence*
Reported to the police*
Not reported to the police*
Percent of all violent incidents
Percent reported to the police

2003
385,040
467,350
2.0
1.4
0.5
5.6%
73.5%

2011
415,160
467,930
1.8
1.3
0.5
7.7%
73.5%

2012
427,700
460,720
1.8
1.2
0.6
6.6%
66.4%

Note: Includes violent incidents and victimizations in which the offender had,
showed, or used a firearm. See appendix table 3 for standard errors.
*Per 1,000 persons age 12 or older.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
and 2012.

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5

0

'93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01a '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11b

Note: Homicide is injuries inflicted by another person with the intent to
injure or kill resulting in death, by any means. Excludes homicides due
to legal intervention and operations of war. Justifiable homicide is not
identified in WISQARS. See appendix table 4 for rates.
aHomicide estimates that occurred as a result of the events of
September 11, 2001, are included in the total number of homicides.
bPreliminary estimates retrieved from Hoyert, D.L. & Xu, J.Q. (2012). Deaths:
Preliminary data for 2011. National Vital Statistics Reports, 61(6).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and
Reporting System (WISQARS), 1993–2010. Retrieved from
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.

3

Thefts accounted for majority of increase in
property crime
The number and rate of property crime victimization increased
from 2011 to 2012 (table 3). In 2012, the number of property
crimes (19.6 million) rose to a similar level seen a decade
earlier in 2003 (19.8 million). The rate of property crime
victimization increased from 138.7 per 1,000 households in
2011 to 155.8 in 2012, and was driven primarily by an increase
in theft. The rate of theft victimization increased from 104.2
per 1,000 households in 2011 to 120.9 in 2012, while no
measurable change occurred in the rates of burglary and motor
vehicle theft during the same period.

In 2012, 44% of violent victimizations were
reported to police
The NCVS allows for an examination of crimes reported
and not reported to police. Victims may not report the
victimization for a variety of reasons, including fear of reprisal
or getting the offender in trouble, believing that police would
not or could not do anything to help, and believing the crime
to be a personal issue or trivial. Police notification can come
from the victim, a third party (including witnesses, other
victims, household members, or other officials, such as school
officials or workplace managers), or police being at the scene
of the incident. Police notification may occur during or
immediately following a criminal incident or at a later date.
From 2011 to 2012, there was no statistically significant change
in the percentage of violent and serious violent victimizations
reported to police (table 4). In 2012, 44% of violent
victimizations and about 54% of serious violent victimizations
were reported to police. A greater percentage of robbery (56%)
and aggravated assault (62%) victimizations were reported to
police, compared to simple assault (40%) and rape or sexual
assault (28%) victimizations. The percentage of violence
involving a weapon that was reported to police decreased from
67% in 2011 to 56% in 2012.

From 2011 to 2012, the percentage of property victimizations
reported to police declined from 37% to 34%. The percentage
of reported thefts declined from 30% to 26% during the same
period, accounting for the majority of the decline in the overall
percentage of property victimizations that were reported to
police. No measurable change was detected in the percentage
of burglaries and motor vehicle thefts that were reported to
police from 2011 to 2012. Similar to previous years, in 2012 a
larger percentage of motor vehicle thefts (79%) than burglaries
(55%) and other thefts (26%) were reported to police.
Table 4
Percent of victimization reported to police, by type of crime,
2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Violent crimea
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Assault
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Domestic violenceb
Intimate partner violencec
Violent crime involving injury

2003
48%
56
64
45
56
43
57
60
56

2011
49%
27
66
48
67
43
59
60
61

Serious violent crimed
Serious domestic violenceb
Serious intimate partner violencec
Serious violent crime involving weapons
Serious violent crime involving injury
Property crimee
Burglary
Motor vehicle theft
Theft

58%
61
63
59
64
38%
54
77
31

61%
58
59
67
66
37%
52
83
30

2012
44%
28
56
44
62
40
55
53
59
54%
61
55
56†
56
34%†
55
79
26†

Note: See appendix table 6 for standard errors.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at the 95% confidence level.
aIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
bIncludes victimization committed by intimate partners (current or former spouses,
boyfriends, or girlfriends) and family members.
cIncludes victimization committed by current or former spouses, boyfriends, or
girlfriends.
dIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault.
eIncludes household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
and 2012.

Table 3
Property victimization, by type of property crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Property crimeb
Household burglary
Motor vehicle theft
Theft

2003
19,792,450
3,648,670
1,032,470
15,111,310

Number
2011
17,063,150
3,613,840
628,220
12,821,090

2012
19,622,980 †
3,764,540
633,740
15,224,700 †

2003
173.4
32.0
9.0
132.4

Ratea
2011
138.7
29.4
5.1
104.2

2012
155.8 †
29.9
5.0
120.9 †

Note: Total number of households was 114,136,930 in 2003; 123,038,570 in 2011; and 125,920,480 in 2012. See appendix table 5 for standard errors.
aPer 1,000 households.
bIncludes household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at the 95% confidence level.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

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4

Violent victimization rate for crimes not reported to
police increased
From 2011 to 2012, no difference was detected in the rate of
violent victimization reported to police (table 5). The violent
victimization rate for crimes not reported to police increased
from 10.8 to 14.0 per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older. For
serious violence, the rate of reported victimizations remained
stable from 2011 to 2012 (4 per 1,000), while the rate of
unreported victimizations increased slightly, from 2.6 per 1,000
persons in 2011 to 3.5 in 2012. From 2011 to 2012, the rate of
simple assault not reported to police increased from 8.2 to 10.6
per 1,000 persons, but no change was detected in the rate of
simple assault reported to police (approximately 7.0 per 1,000).

From 2011 to 2012, no measurable change was observed in the
rate of total property crime victimization reported to police.
In 2012, victims reported to police about 52 property crimes
per 1,000 households. The rate of property crime not reported
to police increased from 86.1 per 1,000 households in 2011 to
101.9 in 2012.
There was no measurable change in the rate of theft
victimizations reported to police from 2011 to 2012. However,
among theft victimizations not reported to police, the rate of
victimization increased from 71.6 per 1,000 households in
2011 to 87.7 in 2012, accounting for the majority of the overall
increase in property crime.

Table 5
Violent victimization rate for crimes reported and not reported to police, by type of crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Violent crimea
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Assault
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Domestic violenceb
Intimate partner violencec
Violent crime involving injury
Serious violent crimed
Serious domestic violenceb
Serious intimate partner violencec
Serious violent crime involving weapons
Serious violent crime involving injury
Property crimee
Burglary
Motor vehicle theft
Theft

2003
15.2
0.8
1.9
12.6
3.2
9.4
3.5
2.6
4.7

Reported to police
2011
11.1
0.3
1.4
9.4
2.7
6.6
3.1
2.0
3.4

2012
11.5
0.4
1.6
9.6
2.4
7.2
2.6
1.6
3.5

2003
16.2
0.6
1.1
14.6
2.3
12.2
2.6
1.6
3.5

Not reported to police
2011
10.8
0.7
0.7
9.4
1.2
8.2
2.1
1.3
1.9

2012
14.0 †
0.9
1.2 †
11.9 †
1.3
10.6 †
2.0
1.3
2.4

5.8
1.7
1.3
4.2
2.5

4.4
0.8
0.6
3.1
1.8

4.3
1.0
0.6
3.0
1.6

4.0
0.9
0.7
2.7
1.3

2.6
0.6
0.4
1.4
0.8

3.5 ‡
0.6
0.4
2.3 †
1.2 ‡

65.1
17.2
6.9
41.0

51.1
15.1
4.2
31.8

52.2
16.4
4.0
31.9

106.4
14.5
2.0
89.9

86.1
13.6
0.9
71.6

101.9 †
13.2
1.1
87.7 †

Note: Victimization rates per 1,000 persons age 12 or older for violent crime and per 1,000 households for property crime. See appendix table 7 for standard errors.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at the 95% confidence level.
‡ Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at the 90% confidence level.
aIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
bIncludes victimization committed by intimate partners (current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends) and family members.
cIncludes victimization committed by current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends.
dIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault.
eIncludes household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

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5

In 2012, 8% of violent crime victims received
assistance from a victim service agency
Victim service agencies are publicly or privately funded
organizations that provide victims with support and services
to aid their physical and emotional recovery, offer protection
from future victimizations, guide them through the criminal
justice system process, and assist them in obtaining restitution.
From 2011 to 2012, there was no change in the percentage of
violent crime victims who received assistance from a victim
service agency (approximately 8%) (table 6). In 2012, a greater
percentage of rape or sexual assault victims (22%) received
assistance than victims of robbery (6%), aggravated assault
(8%), or simple assault (8%).

Table 6
Violent crime victims who received assistance from a victim
service agency, by type of crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Violent crime
Serious violent crime
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Violent crime involving injury
Violent crime involving weapon

Percent of victims who received services
2003
2011
2012
12.1%
8.6%
8.2%
15.4%
10.4%
9.6%
19.4
22.9 !
21.7
16.2
7.7
6.3 !
14.0
8.9
7.9
10.6%
7.7%
7.6%
17.7%
14.3%
14.9%
13.0%
9.0%
8.8%

Note: See appendix table 10 for standard errors.
! Interpret with caution. Estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases, or coefficient
of variation is greater than 50%.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
2012.

The composition of violent crime remained stable from 1993 to 2012
From 1993 to 2012, overall violent victimization declined
from a rate of 79.8 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older to 26.1
per 1,000. All types of violent crime (rape or sexual assault,
robbery, aggravated and simple assault) declined during this
period (figure 3). While the rates of violent victimization
have changed over time, the general composition of violent
victimization has remained relatively stable (figure 4).

From 1993 to 2012, approximately 70% of all violent
victimizations were simple assaults. Serious violence
accounted for the remainder of violent victimizations,
with relative stability in the distributions of rape or sexual
assault, robbery, and aggravated assault from 1993 to 2012.
During this period, aggravated assault accounted for about
20% of all violent victimizations; robbery for 10%; and rape
or sexual assault for 5%.

Figure 3
Rate of violent victimization, by type of crime, 1993–2012

Figure 4
Percent of violent victimization, by type of crime, 1993–2012

Rate per 1,000 persons

Percent

60

80
Simple assault
60

40
40
Simple assault
20

Robbery
0

Rape or sexual assault

Rape or sexual assault
Aggravated assault

'93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06* '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Note: See appendix table 8 for estimates and standard errors.
*Due to methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when
comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal
Victimization, 2007, NCJ 224390, BJS web, December 2008, for more information.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey,
1993–2012.

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20

Aggravated assault

Robbery
0

'93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06* '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Note: See appendix table 9 for estimates and standard errors.
*Due to methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when
comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal
Victimization, 2007, NCJ 224390, BJS web, December 2008, for more information.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey,
1993–2012.

6

Violent crime increased slightly for blacks but
remained stable for whites and Hispanics

Rates of serious violent victimization for whites, blacks, and
Hispanics remained stable from 2011 to 2012. Similar to 2011,
the rate of serious violence in 2012 for blacks (11.3 per 1,000)
was higher than the rate for whites (6.8 per 1,000).

From 2011 to 2012, rates of violent and serious violent
victimization did not change significantly for either males or
females (table 7). In 2012, males had higher rates of violent
and serious violent victimization than females.
The rate of violent victimization for non-Hispanic blacks
increased from 26.4 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 2011
to 34.2 per 1,000 in 2012. Both the rates for non-Hispanic
whites and Hispanics remained flat from 2011 to 2012. In
2011, there were no measurable differences in the violent crime
rates for blacks, whites, or Hispanics, while in 2012, the rate
for blacks (34.2 per 1,000) was higher than the rates for whites
(25.2 per 1,000) and Hispanics (24.5 per 1,000).

From 2011 to 2012, violent victimization rates increased for
persons ages 35 to 49, from 21.9 to 29.1 per 1,000. Persons ages
12 to 17 and 25 to 34 experienced a slight increase in violence
in this same period, while the rates of violent victimization for
all other age groups remained flat. There was no measurable
change in the rates of serious violence for any age groups from
2011 to 2012. Similar to 2011, persons ages 12 to 24 had higher
rates of violent victimization than persons age 35 or older
in 2012.

Table 7
Rate of violent victimization, by demographic characteristics of victims, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Demographic characteristics of victims
Total
Sex
Male
Female
Race/Hispanic origin
Whitec
Black/African Americanc
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian/Alaska Nativec
Asian/Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islanderc
Two or more racesc
Age
12–17
18–24
25–34
35–49
50–64
65 or older
Marital status
Never married
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated

2003
32.1

Violent crimea
2011
22.6

2003
10.0

Serious violent crimeb
2011
7.2

2012
26.1

2012
8.0

34.6
29.7

25.5
19.8

29.1
23.3

10.2
9.9

7.7
6.7

9.4
6.6

32.3
35.9
26.6
85.2
9.9
140.7

21.6
26.4
23.9
45.4
11.2
65.0

25.2
34.2 ‡
24.5
46.9
16.4
42.8

9.4
12.8
9.7
35.2
5.1
47.8

6.5
10.8
7.2
12.6 !
2.5 !
26.2

6.8
11.3
9.3
26.2 !
9.1 †
9.5 ! †

78.3
63.8
39.0
23.1
16.3
3.1

37.7
49.1
26.5
21.9
13.1
4.4

48.4 ‡
41.0
34.2 ‡
29.1 †
15.0
5.7

22.7
23.7
11.9
7.1
4.2
0.9

8.8
16.3
9.6
7.0
4.3
1.7

9.9
14.7
10.9
9.5
4.6
1.6

57.7
14.2
7.8
44.6
100.9

35.5
11.0
3.8
37.8
73.0

40.7
13.5
8.3 †
37.0
83.1

18.2
3.2
1.2
17.0
47.8

11.7
3.7
0.7 !
9.2
26.4

11.9
3.9
2.6 ‡
10.9
39.5

Note: Victimization rates per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. See appendix table 11 for standard errors.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at the 95% confidence level.
‡ Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at the 90% confidence level.
! Interpret with caution. Estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases, or coefficient of variation is greater than 50%.
aIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
bIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault.
cExcludes persons of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

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7

Rates of violent victimization remained flat from 2011 to
2012 for persons of all marital statuses other than those who
were widowed. Violent victimization rates for persons who
were widowed increased from 3.8 per 1,000 in 2011 to 8.3
in 2012. Married persons generally had the lowest rates of
violence compared to persons never married, divorced, or
separated, and this was also observed in 2012. Married persons
experienced 13.5 victimizations per 1,000 persons in 2012,
compared to 37.0 for divorced, 40.7 for never married, and
83.1 for separated persons. The NCVS collects information
on a respondent’s current marital status at the time of the
interview, but does not obtain marital status at the time of the
incident. For example, persons who are separated may have
experienced a victimization while married.

12.5 per 1,000. No measurable change was observed in the rate
of violent victimization for residents living in the Northeast,
Midwest, or South during this period. Residents living in the
West had higher rates of violent victimization (35.5 per 1,000)
than residents in other regions of the country in 2012.

Residents in urban areas continued to experience
the highest rate of violent victimization

From 2011 to 2012, property crime rates increased in all
regions of the country. Households in the West had the highest
rate of property victimization at 210.5 per 1,000 households.
Rates of property crime also increased for households in
urban, rural, and suburban areas. Similar to violent crime,
households in urban areas had higher rates of property crime
than households in suburban and rural areas.

From 2011 to 2012, the rates of violent and serious violent
victimization increased for persons residing in the West
(table 8). The rate of crime in the West increased from 27.1
violent victimizations per 1,000 persons to 35.5 per 1,000, and
from 8.4 serious violent victimizations per 1,000 persons to

There was no measurable change from 2011 to 2012 in the
rates of violent victimization for urban, rural, or suburban
areas. The apparent increase in the rate of violence against
urban residents was not statistically significant. In 2012, the
rate of violent victimization was 32.4 per 1,000 in urban areas,
23.8 per 1,000 in suburban areas, and 20.9 in rural areas. As
in prior years, urban residents had higher rates of violent
and serious violent victimization than suburban and rural
residents.

Table 8
Rate of violent and property victimization, by household location, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Household location
Total
Region
Northeast
Midwest
South
West
Location of residence
Urban
Suburban
Rural

2003
32.1

Violent crimea
2011
22.6

2012
26.1 †

Serious violent crimeb
2003
2011
2012
10.0
7.2
8.0

28.8
37.1
29.6
33.7
39.4
29.2
28.8

Property crimec
2011
2012
138.7
155.8 †

2003
173.4

20.3
26.4
18.4
27.1

24.7
23.9
22.1
35.5 †

7.4
10.7
9.9
11.6

6.4
7.8
6.5
8.4

4.6
8.6
6.2
12.5 †

132.3
173.8
167.0
220.1

98.1
129.9
134.4
189.1

116.9 †
153.1 †
143.4 ‡
210.5 †

27.4
20.2
20.2

32.4
23.8
20.9

14.8
8.7
6.4

9.8
5.7
6.7

11.4
6.6
5.1

224.7
154.8
143.8

166.0
128.6
112.0

187.0 †
138.9 †
142.9 †

Note: Victimization rates are per 1,000 persons age 12 or older for violent crime and per 1,000 households for property crime. See appendix table 12 for standard errors.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at 95% confidence level.
‡ Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at 90% confidence level.
aIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
bIncludes rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault.
cIncludes household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

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8

The NCVS and UCR show somewhat different change in crime from 2011 to 2012
The annual increase in violent victimizations in 2012, based
on the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime
Victimization Survey (NCVS), was consistent with the overall
increase in violent crime shown in the findings from the
FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program (table 9).
The increase in property victimizations from the NCVS was
inconsistent with the FBI’s finding of a slight decline in
overall property crime.
Since the NCVS and UCR measure an overlapping, but not
identical, set of offenses and use different methodologies,
congruity between the estimates is not expected.
Throughout the 40-year history of the NCVS, both programs
have generally demonstrated similar year-to-year increases
or decreases in the levels of overall violent and property
crimes. However, this has not been the case for some years
and for many specific crime types.
As measured by the UCR, violent crime includes murder
and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery,
and aggravated assault. Property crime includes burglary,
larceny-theft, arson, and motor vehicle theft. The UCR
measures crimes known to the police, occurring against
both persons and businesses. The FBI obtains data on crimes
from law enforcement agencies, while the NCVS collects
data through interviews with victims. Additional information
about the differences between the two programs can be
found in The Nation’s Two Crime Measures, NCJ 122705, BJS
web, October 2004.
Significant methodological and definitional differences exist
between the NCVS and UCR:
„„ The NCVS obtains estimates of crimes both reported and

not reported to the police, while the UCR collects data on
crimes known to and recorded by the police.
„„ The UCR includes homicide, arson, and commercial

crimes, while the NCVS excludes these crime types.
„„ The UCR excludes simple assault and sexual assault, which

are included in the NCVS.2
„„ The NCVS data are estimates from a nationally

representative sample of U.S. households, whereas the
UCR data are based on the actual counts of offenses
reported by law enforcement jurisdictions.
2Simple

assaults include attacks or attempted attacks without a weapon
resulting in either no injury or minor injury. Sexual assaults include attacks
or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between
the victim and offender that may or may not involve force.

C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

„„ The NCVS excludes crimes against children age 11 or

younger, persons in institutions (e.g., nursing homes and
correctional institutions), and may exclude highly mobile
populations and the homeless; however, victimizations
against these persons may be included in the UCR.
Given these differences, the two measures of crime should
be considered to complement each other and provide a
more comprehensive picture of crime in the United States.
The number of violent crimes known to the police as
measured by the UCR increased by 0.7%, from 2011 to 2012,
and the number of property crimes declined by about 0.9%.
During the same period, the number of violent crimes in
the NCVS increased by 17.7% and the number of property
crimes increased by 15.0%. The UCR reported slight increases
in the number of homicides (up 1.1%), aggravated assaults
(up 1.1%), and motor vehicle theft (up 0.6%), and reported
declines in the number of robberies (down 0.1%) and
burglaries (down 3.7%). The number of robberies reported
in the NCVS slightly increased by 33.1%. The NCVS did not
measure a statistically significant change in either the overall
number of victimizations or the number of victimizations
reported to police for other crime types.

Table 9
Percent change in the number of crimes reported in UCR
and NCVS, 2011–2012
Type of crime
Violent crimea
Serious violent crimeb
Murder
Forcible rapec
Robbery
Aggravated assault
Property crime
Burglary
Motor vehicle theft

UCR
0.7%
~
1.1
0.2
-0.1
1.1
-0.9%
-3.7
0.6

NCVS
Reported
Total
to police
17.7% †
6.2%
12.4
-0.2
~
~
42.0
49.6
33.1 ‡
12.2
-5.4
-11.3
15.0% †
4.5%
4.2
10.7
0.9
-4.5

~ Not applicable.
† Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at 95% confidence level .
‡ Significant change from 2011 to 2012 at 90% confidence level.
aUCR estimates include murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
NCVS estimates exclude murder and include simple assault.
bNCVS measures include rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated
assault.
cNCVS estimates include rape and other sexual assault, as well as measures of
victimization against males and females.
Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey,
2011–2012; and FBI, Crime in the United States, 2012.

9

Methodology
Survey coverage
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is an annual
data collection conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The NCVS is a self-report
survey in which interviewed persons are asked about the
number and characteristics of victimizations experienced
during the prior 6 months. The NCVS collects information
on nonfatal personal crimes (rape or sexual assault, robbery,
aggravated and simple assault, and personal larceny) and
household property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft,
and other theft) both reported and not reported to police. In
addition to providing annual level and change estimates on
criminal victimization, the NCVS is the primary source of
information on the nature of criminal victimization incidents.
Survey respondents provide information about themselves
(e.g., age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, marital status,
education level, and income) and whether they experienced a
victimization. Information is collected for each victimization
incident, about the offender (e.g., age, race and Hispanic origin,
sex, and victim-offender relationship), characteristics of the
crime (including time and place of occurrence, use of weapons,
nature of injury, and economic consequences), whether the
crime was reported to police, reasons the crime was or was not
reported, and experiences with the criminal justice system.
The NCVS is administered to persons age 12 or older from
a nationally representative sample of households in the
United States. The NCVS defines a household as a group of
members who all reside at a sampled address. Persons are
considered household members when the sampled address is
their usual place of residence at the time of the interview and
when they have no usual place of residence elsewhere. Once
selected, households remain in the sample for 3 years, and
eligible persons in these households are interviewed every 6
months either in person or over the phone for a total of seven
interviews.
Generally, all first interviews are conducted in-person. New
households rotate into the sample on an ongoing basis to
replace outgoing households that have been in sample for the
3-year period. The sample includes persons living in group
quarters, such as dormitories, rooming houses, and religious
group dwellings, and excludes persons living in military
barracks and institutional settings, such as correctional or
hospital facilities, and the homeless. (For more information,
see the Survey Methodology for Criminal Victimization in the
United States, 2008, NCJ 231173, BJS web, May 2011.)

Nonresponse and weighting adjustments
In 2012, 92,390 households and 162,940 persons age 12 or
older were interviewed for the NCVS. Each household was
interviewed twice during the year. The response rate was 87%
for households and 87% for eligible persons. Victimizations
that occurred outside of the United States were excluded
from this report. In 2012, less than 1% of the unweighted
C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

victimizations occurred outside of the United States and were
excluded from the analyses.
Estimates in this report use data from the 1993 to 2012
NCVS data files, weighted to produce annual estimates
of victimization for persons age 12 or older living in U.S.
households. Since the NCVS relies on a sample rather than a
census of the entire U.S. population, weights are designed to
inflate sample point estimates to known population totals and
to compensate for survey nonresponse and other aspects of the
sample design.
The NCVS data files include both person and household
weights. Person weights provide an estimate of the population
represented by each person in the sample. Household
weights provide an estimate of the U.S. household population
represented by each household in the sample. After proper
adjustment, both household and person weights are also
typically used to form the denominator in calculations of
crime rates.
Victimization weights used in this analysis account for
the number of persons present during an incident and for
high-frequency repeat victimizations (or series victimizations).
Series victimizations are similar in type but occur with such
frequency that a victim is unable to recall each individual
event or describe each event in detail. Survey procedures
allow NCVS interviewers to identify and classify these similar
victimizations as series victimizations and to collect detailed
information on only the most recent incident in the series.
The weight counts series incidents as the actual number
of incidents reported by the victim, up to a maximum of
10 incidents. Including series victimizations in national
rates results in rather large increases in the level of violent
victimization; however, trends in violence are generally similar
regardless of whether series victimizations are included.
In 2012, series incidents accounted for about 1% of all
victimizations and 4% of all violent victimizations. Weighting
series incidents as the number of incidents up to a maximum
of 10 incidents produces more reliable estimates of crime
levels, while the cap at 10 minimizes the effect of extreme
outliers on the rates. Additional information on the series
enumeration is detailed in the report Methods for Counting
High Frequency Repeat Victimizations in the National Crime
Victimization Survey, NCJ 237308, BJS web, April 2012.

Standard error computations
When national estimates are derived from a sample, as with
the NCVS, caution must be taken when comparing one
estimate to another estimate or when comparing estimates
over time. Although one estimate may be larger than another,
estimates based on a sample have some degree of sampling
error. The sampling error of an estimate depends on several
factors, including the amount of variation in the responses,
and the size of the sample. When the sampling error around
an estimate is taken into account, the estimates that appear
different may not be statistically different.
10

One measure of the sampling error associated with an estimate
is the standard error. The standard error can vary from one
estimate to the next. Generally, an estimate with a small
standard error provides a more reliable approximation of
the true value than an estimate with a large standard error.
Estimates with relatively large standard errors are associated
with less precision and reliability and should be interpreted
with caution.
In order to generate standard errors around numbers and
estimates from the NCVS, the Census Bureau produced
generalized variance function (GVF) parameters for BJS.
The GVFs take into account aspects of the NCVS complex
sample design and represent the curve fitted to a selection of
individual standard errors based on the Jackknife Repeated
Replication technique. The GVF parameters were used to
generate standard errors for each point estimate (such as
counts, percentages, and rates) in this report.
BJS conducted tests to determine whether differences in
estimated numbers and percentages in this report were
statistically significant once sampling error was taken into
account. Using statistical programs developed specifically
for the NCVS, all comparisons in the text were tested
for significance. The Student’s t-statistic was the primary
test procedure, which tests the difference between two
sample estimates.
Data users can use the estimates and the standard errors of
the estimates provided in this report to generate a confidence
interval around the estimate as a measure of the margin of
error. The following example illustrates how standard errors
can be used to generate confidence intervals:
According to the NCVS, in 2012, the violent victimization
rate among persons age 12 or older was 26.1 per 1,000
persons (see table 1). Using the GVFs, it was determined
that the estimated victimization rate estimate has a
standard error of 1.2 (see appendix table 2). A confidence
interval around the estimate was generated by multiplying
the standard errors by ±1.96 (the t-score of a normal,
two- tailed distribution that excludes 2.5% at either
end of the distribution). Therefore, the 95% confidence
interval around the 26.1 estimate from 2012 is 26.1 ±
(1.2 X 1.96) or (23.8 to 28.5). In others words, if different
samples using the same procedures were taken from
the U.S. population in 2012, 95% of the time the violent
victimization rate would fall between 23.8 and 28.5 per
1,000 persons.
In this report, BJS also calculated a coefficient of variation
(CV) for all estimates, representing the ratio of the standard
error to the estimate. CVs provide a measure of reliability and
a means to compare the precision of estimates across measures
with differing levels or metrics. In cases where the CV was
greater than 50%, or the unweighted sample had 10 or fewer
cases, the estimate was noted with a “!” symbol (Interpret data
with caution. Estimate based on 10 or fewer sample cases, or
the coefficient of variation is greater than 50%).
C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
restoration and redesign
In 1972, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) instituted the
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), formerly
known as the National Crime Survey (NCS), to produce
national estimates of the levels and characteristics of criminal
victimization in the United States, including crime not
reported to police departments. Along with the FBI’s Uniform
Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, the NCVS constitutes a key
component of our nation’s system to measure the extent and
nature of crime in the United States.
In 2008, BJS sponsored an expert panel study carried out by
the National Research Council of the National Academies to
review the survey’s methodology and provide guidelines for
options to redesign the NCVS. The panel’s recommendations
are contained in Surveying Victims: Options for Conducting
the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Research
Council, 2008). In response to these recommendations,
BJS initiated a two-prong approach to redesign and restore
the NCVS with the ultimate goals to improve the survey’s
methodology, contain costs, assure sustainability, increase
value to national and local stakeholders, and better meet
the challenges of measuring the extent, characteristics, and
consequences of criminal victimization.
To restore the quality of the NCVS data, BJS and the U.S.
Census Bureau implemented two large-scale interventions.
First, the number of sample cases was increased to improve
the stability and precision of national and subgroup estimates
of victimization. Second, in late 2011, refresher training and
performance monitoring of field representatives (FR) were
initiated to improve the quality and costs associated with
data collection. The effects of these interventions have been
monitored in an effort to maintain consistent year-to-year
comparisons. BJS continues to evaluate the impact of each
on-going intervention on criminal victimization estimates and
other estimates of data quality, including response rates and
measures of interview quality.

Methodological changes to the NCVS in 2006
Methodological changes implemented in 2006 may have
affected the crime estimates for that year to such an extent that
they are not comparable to estimates from other years.
Evaluation of 2007 and later data from the NCVS conducted by
BJS and the Census Bureau found a high degree of confidence
that estimates for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 are
consistent with and comparable to estimates for 2005 and
previous years. The reports, Criminal Victimization, 2006,
NCJ 219413, December 2007; Criminal Victimization, 2007,
NCJ 224390, December 2008; Criminal Victimization, 2008,
NCJ 227777, September 2009; Criminal Victimization, 2009,
NCJ 231327, October 2010; Criminal Victimization, 2010, NCJ
235508, September 2011; and Criminal Victimization, 2011,
NCJ 239437, October 2012, are available on the BJS website.

11

Appendix Table 1
Estimates and standard errors for figure 1: Violent victimization reported and not reported to police, 1993–2012
Year
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006b
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

Total
79.8
80.0
70.7
64.7
61.1
54.1
47.2
37.5
32.6
32.1
32.1
27.8
28.4
34.1
27.2
25.3
22.3
19.3
22.6
26.1

Ratea
Not reported
to police
45.0
46.7
40.9
37.8
34.8
29.1
26.3
19.9
16.2
15.3
16.2
13.6
15.0
17.7
14.7
13.3
12.3
9.3
10.8
14.0

Reported
to police
33.8
32.4
28.9
26.1
25.6
24.6
20.3
17.2
16.0
16.3
15.2
14.0
13.0
15.9
12.2
11.8
9.8
9.9
11.1
11.5

Standard error
Not reported
to police
1.5
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.0
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.8
0.8
0.7
1.1
1.2
1.0
1.0
1.0

Total
2.0
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.6
1.4
1.3
1.1
1.1
1.0
0.9
1.1
1.0
1.0
1.6
1.3
1.4
1.4
1.2

Reported
to police
1.3
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.9
1.0
0.8
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.7
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0.9

aPer 1,000 persons age 12 or older.
bDue to methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007,

NCJ 224390, BJS web, December 2008, for more information.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 1993–2012.

Appendix Table 2
Standard errors for table 1: Violent victimization, by type of violent crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of violent crime
Violent crime
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Assault
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Domestic violence
Intimate partner violence
Violent crime involving injury

2003
243,217
36,759
57,508
222,489
84,632
193,154
95,202
76,892
115,337

Number
2011
356,534
41,320
71,615
322,168
110,381
274,054
148,339
107,289
155,576

Serious violent crime
Serious domestic violence
Serious intimate partner violence
Serious violent crime involving weapons
Serious violent crime involving injury

118,968
58,083
49,626
103,374
72,979

162,723
60,306
47,843
135,857
92,765

2012
313,834
54,400
83,684
282,460
99,221
251,674
126,882
95,014
147,036
153,202
61,294
47,019
137,053
91,259

2003
1.0
0.2
0.2
0.9
0.4
0.8
0.4
0.3
0.5

Rate*
2011
1.4
0.2
0.3
1.3
0.4
1.1
0.6
0.4
0.6

2012
1.2
0.2
0.3
1.1
0.4
1.0
0.5
0.4
0.6

0.5
0.2
0.2
0.4
0.3

0.6
0.2
0.2
0.5
0.4

0.6
0.2
0.2
0.5
0.3

*Per 1,000 persons age 12 or older.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

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12

Appendix Table 3
Standard errors for table 2: Firearm violence, 2003, 2011,
and 2012
Firearm incidents
Firearm victimizations
Rate of firearm violence
Reported to the police
Not reported to the police
Percent of all violent incidents
Percent reported to the police

2003
42,668
47,783
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.6
4.1

2011
65,371
70,968
0.3
0.2
0.1
1.1
5.2

2012
62,863
65,925
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.9
5.6

Appendix Table 5
Standard errors for table 3: Property victimization, by type of
property crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Number
Type of crime
2003 2011 2012
Property crime
367,118 430,952 387,502
Household burglary 133,554 175,099 146,105
Motor vehicle theft
60,671 62,550 49,704
Theft
316,252 367,910 336,706

2003
3.2
1.2
0.5
2.8

Rate
2011
3.5
1.4
0.5
3.0

2012
3.1
1.2
0.4
2.7

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
and 2012.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
and 2012.

Appendix Table 4
Estimates for figure 2: Homicide victimization, 1993–2011
Year
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001b
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011c

Ratea
9.9
9.3
8.5
7.7
7.2
6.5
6.1
6.0
7.1
6.1
6.1
5.9
6.1
6.2
6.1
5.9
5.5
5.3
5.1

Note: Excludes homicides due to legal intervention and operations of war.
aPer 100,000 persons.
bHomicide estimates that occurred as a result of the events of September 11, 2001,
are included in the total number of homicides.
cPreliminary estimates retrieved from Hoyert, D.L., & Xu, J.Q. (2012). Deaths:
Preliminary data for 2011. National Vital Statistics Reports, 61(6).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System
(WISQARS), 1993–2010. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.

C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

Appendix Table 6
Standard errors for table 4: Percent of victimization reported
to police, by type of crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Violent crime
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Assault
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Domestic violence
Intimate partner violence
Violent crime involving injury

2003
1.4
5.3
3.7
1.5
2.9
1.6
2.8
3.2
2.4

2011
2.6
6.0
5.2
2.7
4.2
2.8
4.0
4.6
3.9

2012
2.1
5.7
4.8
2.3
4.2
2.4
4.0
4.7
3.6

Serious violent crime
Serious domestic violence
Serious intimate partner violence
Serious violent crime involving weapons
Serious violent crime involving injury

2.2
3.9
4.3
2.6
3.2

3.6
6.1
6.9
4.0
4.8

3.3
6.0
7.3
3.8
4.8

Property crime
Burglary
Motor vehicle theft
Theft

0.8
1.7
2.4
0.9

1.1
2.0
3.2
1.1

0.8
1.7
3.1
0.8

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
and 2012.

13

Appendix Table 7
Violent victimization rate for crimes reported and not reported to police, by type of crime, 2003, 2011, and 2012
2003
0.7
0.1
0.2
0.6
0.3
0.5
0.3
0.2
0.3

Reported to police
2011
1.0
0.1
0.2
0.9
0.4
0.7
0.4
0.3
0.4

2012
0.9
0.1
0.2
0.8
0.3
0.6
0.3
0.2
0.4

2003
0.7
0.1
0.1
0.7
0.2
0.6
0.2
0.2
0.3

Not reported to police
2011
1.0
0.1
0.1
0.9
0.2
0.8
0.3
0.2
0.3

2012
1.0
0.2
0.2
0.9
0.2
0.8
0.3
0.2
0.3

Serious violent crime
Serious domestic violence
Serious intimate partner violence
Serious violent crime involving weapons
Serious violent crime involving injury

0.4
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.2

0.5
0.2
0.1
0.4
0.3

0.5
0.2
0.1
0.4
0.2

0.3
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2

0.4
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2

0.4
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.2

Property crime
Burglary
Motor vehicle theft
Theft

1.9
0.9
0.5
1.5

2.1
1.0
0.4
1.5

1.7
0.8
0.4
1.2

2.6
0.8
0.2
2.3

2.8
0.9
0.2
2.5

2.5
0.7
0.2
2.3

Type of crime
Violent crime
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Assault
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Domestic violence
Intimate partner violence
Violent crime involving injury

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

Appendix Table 8
Estimates and standard errors for figure 3: Rate of violent victimization, by type of crime, 1993–2012
Ratea
Year
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006b
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

Total violent
crime
79.8
80.0
70.7
64.7
61.1
54.1
47.2
37.5
32.6
32.1
32.1
27.8
28.4
34.1
27.2
25.3
22.3
19.3
22.6
26.1

Rape/sexual
assault
4.3
3.2
2.6
2.0
2.5
1.8
2.6
1.6
2.1
1.5
1.4
1.1
0.8
1.9
1.0
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.9
1.3

Robbery
8.3
7.9
6.3
6.6
5.4
4.4
4.5
3.9
2.9
2.7
3.0
2.6
3.1
3.8
3.1
2.7
2.5
2.2
2.2
2.8

Standard error
Aggravated
assault
16.5
16.0
13.5
13.2
13.2
10.4
8.7
6.9
6.0
5.8
5.7
5.9
5.2
7.1
4.9
3.8
4.1
3.4
4.1
3.8

Simple
assault
50.7
53.0
48.3
42.9
40.0
37.5
31.3
25.1
21.6
22.1
22.1
18.3
19.2
21.4
18.3
17.4
14.6
12.7
15.4
18.2

Total violent
crime
2.1
1.7
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.7
1.4
1.3
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.7
1.8
1.6
1.6
1.5

Rape/ sexual
assault
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2

Robbery
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.3
0.3

Aggravated
assault
0.8
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.4

Simple
assault
1.6
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.3
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.9
0.9
0.8
1.4
1.4
1.2
1.2
1.2

aPer 1,000 persons age 12 or older.
bDue to methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007,

NCJ 224390, BJS website, December 2008, for more information.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 1993–2012.

C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

14

Appendix Table 9
Estimates and standard errors for figure 4: Percent of violent victimization, by type of crime, 1993–2012
Percent
Year
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006*
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

Rape/sexual
assault
5%
4
4
3
4
3
6
4
6
5
4
4
3
5
4
5
5
5
4
5

Robbery
10%
10
9
10
9
8
10
10
9
8
9
9
11
11
11
11
11
12
10
11

Aggravated
assault
21%
20
19
20
22
19
19
18
19
18
18
21
18
21
18
15
18
17
18
15

Simple
assault
64%
66
68
66
65
69
66
67
66
69
69
66
67
63
67
69
65
66
68
70

Rape/sexual
assault
0.4
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.5
0.9
1.0
1.0
0.7
0.7

Standard error
Aggravated
Robbery
assault
0.6
0.9
0.5
0.7
0.5
0.7
0.5
0.7
0.5
0.8
0.6
0.9
0.6
0.9
0.7
1.0
0.7
1.0
0.7
1.0
0.7
1.0
0.8
1.2
0.9
1.2
0.8
1.1
0.9
1.1
1.4
1.6
1.5
2.0
1.6
2.0
1.2
1.7
1.2
1.4

Simple
assault
1.1
0.9
0.9
0.9
1.0
1.2
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.3
1.4
1.4
1.6
1.5
1.6
2.5
2.9
3.0
2.5
2.1

*Due to methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007,
NCJ 224390, BJS web, December 2008, for more information.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 1993–2012.

Appendix Table 10
Standard errors for table 6: Violent crime victims who received
assistance from a victim service agency, by type of crime, 2003,
2011, and 2012
Type of crime
Violent crime
Serious violent crime
Rape/sexual assault
Robbery
Aggravated assault
Simple assault
Violent crime involving injury
Violent crime involving weapon

Percent of victims who received services
2003
2011
2012
0.8
1.1
1.0
1.5
1.8
1.7
4.1
5.6
5.2
2.7
2.4
2.1
1.9
2.0
2.0
0.9
1.2
1.1
1.8
2.4
2.4
1.6
2.0
1.9

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011,
2012.

C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

15

Appendix Table 11
Standard errors for table 7: Rate of violent victimization, by demographic characteristics of victims, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Demographic characteristics of victims
Total
Sex
Male
Female
Race/Hispanic origin
White
Black/African American
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian/Alaska Native
Asian/Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander
Two or more races
Age
12–17
18–24
25–34
35–49
50–64
65 or older
Marital status
Never married
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated

2003
1.0

Violent crime
2011
1.4

2012
1.2

2003
0.5

Serious violent crime
2011
0.6

2012
0.6

1.5
1.3

2.1
1.7

2.0
1.7

0.7
0.7

0.9
0.8

1.0
0.7

1.3
2.6
2.1
17.9
2.0
17.0

1.7
3.2
2.8
12.9
2.4
11.9

1.7
3.4
2.6
13.3
3.0
9.1

0.6
1.5
1.2
11.5
1.4
10.0

0.8
1.8
1.3
6.1
1.0
6.9

0.7
1.7
1.4
9.7
2.1
3.9

4.2
3.6
2.4
1.5
1.3
0.6

4.3
4.9
2.9
2.3
1.6
0.9

4.6
3.9
3.1
2.5
1.6
1.0

2.1
2.1
1.2
0.7
0.6
0.3

1.7
2.4
1.5
1.1
0.8
0.5

1.7
2.1
1.5
1.2
0.8
0.5

2.4
0.9
1.5
3.3
9.5

2.9
1.2
1.2
4.3
10.7

2.8
1.2
2.0
3.9
11.1

1.2
0.4
0.5
1.9
6.4

1.4
0.6
0.4
1.7
5.7

1.2
0.5
1.0
1.8
7.3

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

Appendix Table 12
Standard errors for table 8: Rate of violent and property victimization, by household location, 2003, 2011, and 2012
Household location
Total
Region
Northeast
Midwest
South
West
Location of residence
Urban
Suburban
Rural

2003
1.0

Violent crime
2011
1.4

2012
1.2

2003
0.5

Serious violent crime
2011
2012
0.6
0.6

1.9
2.0
1.5
2.0

2.3
2.7
1.8
2.7

2.5
2.2
1.8
2.8

0.9
1.0
0.8
1.1

1.1
1.2
0.9
1.2

2.0
1.3
1.9

2.5
1.8
2.5

2.4
1.7
2.3

1.1
0.6
0.8

1.2
0.7
1.2

2003
3.2

Property crime
2011
3.5

2012
3.1

0.9
1.2
0.8
1.5

5.2
5.5
4.6
6.4

5.3
5.8
5.1
7.1

4.9
5.2
4.2
6.1

1.2
0.7
1.0

5.7
4.0
5.4

5.8
4.5
6.1

4.9
3.7
5.7

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003, 2011, and 2012.

C R I M I N A L V I C T I M I Z AT I O N , 2012 | O C TO B E R 2013	

16

The Bureau of Justice Statistics, located in the Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice, collects, analyses, and disseminates statistical
information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of
justice systems at all levels of government. William J. Sabol is acting director.
This report was written by Jennifer L. Truman, Ph.D., Lynn Langton, Ph.D., and
Michael Planty, Ph.D. Rachel E. Morgan, Ph.D., verified the report.
Morgan Young edited the report, and Barbara Quinn and Morgan Young
produced the report.
October 2013, NCJ 243389

Office of Justice Programs
Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods
www.ojp.usdoj.gov