Violent Crime Victimization
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Headline

In 2005, overall violent crime victimization among adolescents reached an all-time low, declining to less than half the rate of 1996. (See Figure 1)

Importance

Adolescents ages 12 to 19 are the victims of violent crime (including simple and aggravated assault, rape and other sexual assault, and robbery) at much higher rates than are adults.^1,2 Violence during adolescence can have very serious repercussions. Adolescents who have been violently victimized are more likely to have physical health problems, substance abuse problems, and problems at school.³ Sexual assault and physical assault victimization are also associated with higher rates of mental health problems during adolescence, including post-traumatic stress disorder.⁴ Additionally, adolescents who are the victims of violent crime may be more likely to commit violent criminal offenses themselves.⁵

Violent victimization during adolescence also predicts problem behaviors in adulthood. For example, teenage victims of violent crime are more likely than other teens to be perpetrators or victims of violence as adults and to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as adults.⁶

Trends

From 1996 to 2005, the rate of violent victimization for adolescents ages 12 to 19 (which includes rape, robbery, aggravated and simple assaults, and homicide) fell by more than half. (See Figure 1) There were major reductions for many types of violent crime during this period, including simple assault, aggravated assault, and robbery. For example, rates of aggravated assault victimization fell from 15.6 to 8.7 per 1000 adolescents ages 12 to 15 and from 25.3 to 9.7 per 1000 youths ages 16 to 19. (See Table 1)

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Differences by Type of Victimization

Most adolescent victims of violent crime are victims of simple assault. In 2005, simple assault accounted for 54.8 percent of all violent crime victimization for adolescents ages 16 to 19 and 69.6 percent for adolescents ages 12 to 15. Aggravated assault is the next most common, followed by robbery and then rape/sexual assault. (See Figure 2)

Differences by Age

In 2005, 16-19 year-old adolescents were more likely than 12-15 year-old adolescents to be victims of robbery (7.0 per 1000 compared with 3.5 per 1000, respectively). (See Figure 2) This contrast marks a departure from the 2004 comparisons, in which only rates of aggravated and simple assault differed by age. ⁷ (See Table 1)

Differences by Gender

Among all adolescents ages 12 to 15 and youth ages 16 to 19, males had higher rates of total and each type of violent crime victimization than females in 2005, with the exception of rape. Females in both age groups had higher rates of rape/sexual assault than did males of the same age. (See Table 2)

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Differences by Race

In 2005, some evidence suggests that black 12 to 15 year-old adolescents and youth ages 16 to 19, are victims of all violent crimes, overall, at higher rates than are whites in these same age groups*. (See Table 2) Additionally, white adolescents ages 16 to 19 experience significantly lower incidents of robbery than their black counterparts (5 percent compared to 17 percent, respectively).

*Note: Estimates were only significant at the 90 percent confidence interval.

Related Indicators

Physical Fighting, Students Carrying Weapons, Child Maltreatment, Dating Violence, Rape, Teen Homicide, Suicide, and Firearm Death

State and Local Estimates

None Available

International Estimates

None Available

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National Goals

Through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the federal government has set many related goals, which aim to reduce the annual rate of physical assault, sexual assault, and rape among the general population. Additionally, there is a goal to reduce physical fighting among youth.

15-37 Reduce the rate of physical assault
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/15-37.htm
15-26 Reduce the rate of sexual assault
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/15-36.htm
15-35 Reduce the rate of rape
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/15-35.htm
15-38 Reduce physical fighting among adolescents
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/15-38.htm

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What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

None available at this time.

Research References

¹Homicides are not included here.

²Rennison, C. (2002). Criminal Victimization 2001: Changes 2000-01 with Trends 1993-2001 (NCJ 194610): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv01.htm

³ Wordes, M., & Nunez, M. (2002). Our Vulnerable Teenagers: Their Victimization, Its Consequences, and Directions for Prevention and Intervention: National Council on Crime and Delinquency: 13. http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbID=DB_Teens453

⁴National Institute of Justice. (2003). Research in Brief: Youth Victimization: Prevalence and Implications. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/194972.pdf

⁵Wordes, M., & Nunez, M. (2002). Our Vulnerable Teenagers: Their Victimization, Its Consequences, and Directions for Prevention and Intervention: National Council on Crime and Delinquency: 15. http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbID=DB_Teens453

⁶Menard, S. (2002). Youth Violence Research Bulletin: Short- and Long-Term Consequences of Adolescent Victimization: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/191210.pdf

⁷Significance computed from data in Table 3 of Catalano, Shannon M. (2004). Criminal Victimization, 2004 (NCJ 210674): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus04.pdf

Definition

Rates and estimates are based on self-reported interview data from the National Crime Victimization Survey.

For this indicator, violent crime includes robbery, simple assault, aggravated assault, and rape/sexual assault. Simple assault is defined as attack without a weapon resulting in either no injury, minor injury or in undetermined injury requiring less than two days of hospitalization. Aggravated assault is defined as attack or attempted attack with a weapon, regardless of whether or not an injury occurred and attack without a weapon when serious injury results.

These estimates do not include victims of homicide.

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Data Sources

Data for 2005: Catalano, Shannon M. (2006). Criminal Victimization, 2005 (NCJ 214644): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics: Table 6. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv05.htm

Data for 2004: Catalano, Shannon M. (2004). Criminal Victimization, 2004 (NCJ 210674): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics: Table 6. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus04.pdf

Gender and race breaks for 2004: Catalano, Shannon M. (2004). Criminal Victimization, 2004 (NCJ 210674): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics: Table 3, 4, 6, 9, 10. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus04.pdf

Data for 2003: Catalano, Shannon M. (2004). Criminal Victimization, 2003 (NCJ 205455): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics: Table 6. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv03.pdf

Data for 2002: Rennison, C. and M. Rand. (2003) Criminal Victimization 2002 (NCJ199994): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Table 6. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv02.pdf

Data for 2001: Rennison, C. (2002). Criminal Victimization 2001: Changes 2000-01 with Trends 1993-2001 (NCJ 194610): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Table 2.http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv01.htm

Data for 2000: Rennison, C. (2001). Criminal Victimization 2000, Changes 1999-2000 with Trends 1993-2000 (NCJ 187007): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Table 2. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv00.htm

Data for 1999: Rennison, C. (2000). Criminal Victimization 1999, Changes 1998-99 with Trends 1993-99 (NCJ 182734): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Table 2. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv99.htm

Data for 1998: Rennison, C. (1999). Criminal Victimization 1998, Changes 1997-98 with Trends 1993-98 (NCJ 176353): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Table 2. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv98.htm

Data for 1997: Rand, M. R. (1998). Criminal Victimization 1997 (NCJ 173385): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv97.htm

Data for 1996: Ringel, C. (1997). Criminal Victimization 1996 (NCJ 165812): U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Table 2. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm

Data for 1975-1995: Key Facts at a Glance: Trends in victimization rates by age (September 9, 2006). Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved October 21, 2006, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/tables/vagetab.htm

Raw Data Source

National Crime Victimization Survey
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/NCVS/#About_NCVS

In most cases, crimes are reported by the teenagers themselves. If the teen is age 12 or 13, a knowledgeable adult household member may respond for the teen.

Approximate Date of Next Update

Winter 2007

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