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The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) obtains information about offender(s) who commit violent victimizations from the victim who experienced the crime. The victim is asked to provide information on age, race, and gender of the offender. The victim is also asked about his/her relationship with the offender, whether the victim perceived that the offender was drunk or on drugs, and whether the offender was a gang member. For crimes committed by strangers, the victim may not be able to provide all of the information. For crimes in which a relative, friend, or acquaintance was the offender, the victim may have more detailed information about the offender. Victims are encouraged to think about incidents committed by relatives or other non-strangers which may have been a crime and describe these incidents in the interview. Information about non-stranger crime still may be underreported in the survey, since some victims may not feel comfortable providing such information or victims may not perceive some events as crimes.
Summary findings
Gang membership of offenders
In 2008 victims of violent crimes perceived their assailants to be gang members in 5% of crimes that occurred.
Family violence
Data Collections & Surveys |
Publications & Products |
Press Releases
Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980-2008 Presents findings from data on homicides that occurred in the United States from 1980 through 2008. It also includes overall homicide rates for 2009 and 2010. | |
Press Release | PDF (1M) | ASCII file (48K) | Spreadsheets (Zip format 76K)
Part of the Homicide Trends in the United States Series |
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Criminal Victimization, 2010 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). | |
Press Release | PDF (1.9M) | ASCII file (32K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 26K)
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series |
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Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2008 Presents findings about nonfatal violent and property crime experienced in 2008 by persons with disabilities, based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Press Release | PDF (292K) | ASCII file (26K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 25K)
Part of the Crime Against People with Disabilities Series |
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Criminal Victimization, 2009 Presents the annual estimates of rates and levels of violent crime (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault), property crime (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching). | |
Press Release | PDF (420K) | ASCII file (24K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 23K)
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series |
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Victimization During Household Burglary Presents findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on the characteristics of burglary, with comparisons between households where members were present and not present. | |
Press Release | Acrobat file (PDF 352K) | ASCII file (31K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 25K)
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Criminal Victimization, 2008 Presents the annual estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization and describes the year-to-year change from 2007 as well as trends for the ten-year period from 1999 through 2008. | |
Press Release | PDF (444K) | ASCII file (24K) | Spreadsheet (13K)
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series |
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Criminal Victimization, 2007 Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. | |
Press Release | PDF (266K) | ASCII file (31K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 15K) | To order paper version
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series |
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Juvenile Victimization and Offending, 1993-2003 Presents findings about violent crime committed against or by juveniles from 1993 to 2003. | |
Press Release | PDF (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 60K) | To order paper version
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Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001 Reports on trends in intimate partner violence of persons age 12 or older in the United States using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. | |
PDF (234K) | ASCII file (5K) | Spreadsheet (5K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version
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Intimate Partner Violence Provides information on violence by intimates (current or former spouses, girlfriends, or boyfriends) since the redesign of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Press Release | PDF (103K) | ASCII file (26K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 32K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To obtain paper version
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Criminal Victimization in the United States, 2008 - Statistical Tables Presents tables with detailed data on major items measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 1.6M) | Complete set of tables - Spreadsheets (Zip format 243K) | Demography of victims (PDF 1M) | Demography of victims - Spreadsheets (Zip format 49K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 1M) | Victims and offenders - Spreadsheets (Zip format 26K) | The crime event (PDF 239K) | The crime event - Spreadsheets (Zip format 46K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 1M) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Spreadsheets (Zip format 32K) | Series victimizations (PDF 959K) | Series victimizations - Spreadsheet (PDF 5K) | Methodology (PDF 107K) | Methodology (ASCII file 35K) |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables Presents 110 tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Criminal Victimization in the United States, 2007 - Statistical Tables Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 1.3M) | Complete set of tables - Spreadsheets (Zip format 157K) | Demography of victims (PDF 336K) | Demography of victims - Spreadsheets (Zip format 38K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 321K) | Victims and offenders - Spreadsheets (Zip format 37K) | The crime event (PDF 239K) | The crime event - Spreadsheets (Zip format 46K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 315K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Spreadsheets (Zip format 32K) | Series victimizations (PDF 96K) | Series victimizations - Spreadsheet (Zip format 6K) | Methodology (PDF 74K) | Methodology (ASCII file 47K) | About the source |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2006 Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 1.4M) | Complete set of tables - Zip format (Spreadsheet 157K) | Demography of victims (PDF 336K) | Demography of victims - Zip format (Spreadsheet 38K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 321K) | Victims and offenders - Zip format (Spreadsheet 37K) | The crime event (PDF 239K) | The crime event - Zip format (Spreadsheet 46K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 315K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Zip format (Spreadsheet 32K) | Series victimizations (PDF 96K) | Series victimizations - Zip format (Spreadsheet 5K) | Methodology (PDF 74K) | Methodology (ASCII file 47K) | NCVS questionnaires | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2005 The datasets used to generate published estimates for the 2005 and 2006 Criminal Victimization bulletins and statistical tables were found to contain improper weights for the population. | |
Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2005 Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 723K) | Complete set of tables - Zip format (Spreadsheet 152K) | Demography of victims (PDF 221K) | Demography of victims - Zip format (Spreadsheet 59K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 217K) | Victims and offenders - Zip format (Spreadsheet 57K) | Geography (PDF 174K) | Geography - Zip format (Spreadsheet 29K) | The crime event (PDF 243K) | The crime event - Zip format (Spreadsheet 73K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 206K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Zip format (Spreadsheet 47K) | Series victimizations (PDF 128K) | Series victimizations - Zip format (Spreadsheet 4K) | Methodology (PDF 49K) | Methodology (ASCII file 47K) | NCVS questionnaires | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2004 Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 786K) | Complete set of tables (Spreadsheet 136K) | Demography of victims (PDF 390K) | Demography of victims - Zip format (Spreadsheet 34K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 380K) | Victims and offenders - Zip format (Spreadsheet 31K) | Geography (PDF 333K) | Geography - Zip format (Spreadsheet 18K) | The crime event (PDF 198K) | The crime event - Zip format (Spreadsheet 40K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 166K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Zip format (Spreadsheet 27K) | Series victimizations (PDF 84K) | Series victimizations - Ziip format (Spreadsheet 8K) | Methodology (PDF 49K) | Methodology (ASCII file 47K) | NCVS questionnaires | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2003 Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 786K) | Complete set of tables - Zip format (Spreadsheet 136K) | Demography of victims (PDF 90K) | Demography of victims - Zip format (Spreadsheet 34K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 380K) | Victims and offenders - Zip format (Spreadsheet 31K) | Geography (PDF 333K) | Geography - Zip format (Spreadsheet 18K) | The crime event (PDF 198K) | The crime event - Zip format (Spreadsheet 40K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 166K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Zip archive (Spreadsheet 27K) | Series victimizations (PDF 84K) | Series victimizations - Zip format (Spreadsheet 8K) | Methodology (PDF 49K) | Methodology (ASCII file 47K) | NCVS questionnaires | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2002 Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 817K) | Complete set of tables - Zip format (Spreadsheet 342K) | Demography of victims (PDF 246K) | Demography of victims - Zip format (Spreadsheet 65K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 202K) | Victims and offenders - Zip format (Spreadsheet 64K) | Geography (PDF 148K) | Geography - Zip format (Spreadsheet 36K) | The crime event (PDF 251K) | The crime event - Zip format (Spreadsheet 79K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 184K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Zip format (Spreadsheet 55K) | Series victimizations (PDF 93K) | Series victimizations - Zip format (Spreadsheet 7K) | Methodology (PDF 152K) | Methodology (ASCII file 46K) | NCVS questionnaires | Codebooks and Datasets |
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Criminal Victimization in the United States -- Statistical Tables, 2001 Presents tables with detailed data on major variables measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). | |
Complete set of tables (PDF 1.7M) | Complete set of tables - Zip format (Spreadsheet 292K) | Demography of victims (PDF 426K) | Demography of victims - Zip format (Spreadsheet 64K) | Victims and offenders (PDF 419K) | Victims and offenders - Zip format (Spreadsheet 64K) | Geography (PDF 242K) | Geography - Zip format (Spreadsheet 36K) | The crime event (PDF 527K) | The crime event - Zip format (Spreadsheet 80K) | Victims and the criminal justice system (PDF 367K) | Victims and the criminal justice system - Zip format (Spreadsheet 80K) | Series victimizations (PDF 42K) | Series victimizations - Zip format (Spreadsheet 10K) | Methodology (PDF 56K) | Methodology (ASCII file 46K) | NCVS questionnaires | Codebooks and Datasets |
Terms & Definitions |
Assault | An unlawful physical attack or threat of attack. Assaults may be classified as aggravated or simple. Rape, attempted rape, and sexual assaults are excluded from this category, as well as robbery and attempted robbery. The severity of assaults ranges from minor threats to nearly fatal incidents. |
Nonstranger | A classification of a crime victim's relationship to the offender. An offender who is either related to, well known to, or casually acquainted with the victim is a nonstranger. For crimes with more than one offender, if any of the offenders are nonstrangers, then the group of offenders as a whole is classified as nonstranger. This category only applies to crimes which involve contact between the victim and the offender; the distinction is not made for crimes of theft since victims of this offense rarely see the offenders. |
Offender | The perpetrator of a crime; this term usually applies to crimes involving contact between the victim and the offender. |
Stranger | A classification of the victim's relationship to the offender for crimes involving direct contact between the two. Incidents are classified as involving strangers if the victim identifies the offender as a stranger, did not see or recognize the offender, or knew the offender only by sight. Crimes involving multiple offenders are classified as involving nonstrangers if any of the offenders was a nonstranger. Since victims of theft without contact rarely see the offender, no distinction is made between strangers and nonstrangers for the crime. |
Victim | The recipient of a criminal act, usually used in relation to personal crimes, but also applicable to households. |
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