Author Description

Presents 2010 estimates of rates and levels of criminal victimization in the U.S., including violent victimization (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault), property victimization (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching). It describes the annual change from 2009 and analyzes long-term trends from 1993 through 2010. The bulletin includes estimates of series victimizations (six or more similar incidents that the victim is unable to recall individually or describe in detail), injury in violent victimization, violence perpetrated by strangers, and the use of firearms and other weapons in violent victimization. It also describes the characteristics of victims. The National Crime Victimization Survey (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. During 2010, 40,974 households and 73,283 individuals were interviewed twice for the NCVS. Highlights include the following: The rate of total violent crime victimizations declined by 13% in 2010, which was about three times the average annual decrease observed from 2001 through 2009 (4%). The decline in the rate of simple assault accounted for about 82% of the total decrease in the rate of violent victimization in 2010. In 2010 the property victimization rate declined by 6%, compared to the average annual decrease of 3% observed from 2001 through 2009. Strangers perpetrated 39% of violent victimizations in 2010, down from 44% in 2001. About 50% of all violent victimizations and nearly 40% of property crimes were reported to the police in 2010. These percentages have remained stable over the past 10 years. Part of the Criminal Victimization Series