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The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on victimization characteristics including race and ethnicity. Since 2003, two questions on the NCVS obtain information on the respondent's race and Hispanic origin: (1) whether the respondent is of Hispanic origin, and (2) which race or races they identify with. Respondents may choose white, black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander, and other race. Respondents who select other race are asked to specify their race. More than one race may be selected.
Prior to 2003, respondents to the NCVS were asked to identify the racial group they identified with, including white, black, American Indian/Aleut/Eskimo, Asian/Pacific Islander, or other race. Respondents who selected other race were not able to specify a race for the NCVS. They were also not able to select more than one racial group. After respondents were asked the question on race, they were asked if they were of their Hispanic origin or ethnicity. Because the racial categories were changed in the National Crime Victimization Survey in 2003, caution is warranted when examining race over time.
Most reports present findings on race and ethnicity separately. Other reports show results for combined racial/ethnic categories (i.e. white, non-Hispanic; black/African American, non-Hispanic; Hispanic/Latino, etc.)
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, 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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Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Victims of Crime Presents findings about violent crime and property crime experienced by the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population in the United States. | |
Press Release | PDF (377K) | ASCII file (25K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 14K) | To order paper version
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Black Victims of Violent Crime Presents findings about violent crime experienced by non-Hispanic blacks. | |
Press Release | PDF (216K) | ASCII file (22K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 21K) | To order paper version
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American Indians and Crime: A BJS Statistical Profile, 1992-2002 Reports the rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by American Indians and summarizes data on American Indians in the criminal justice system. | |
PDF (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 60K) | Codebooks and Datasets
Part of the American Indians and Crime Series |
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Víctimas Hispanas de Crímenes Violentos, 1993-2000/Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 Utilisando la Encuesta Nacional Sobre Víctimas de Crímenes (NCVS), este reporte examina crímenes violentos contra víctimas hispanas, incluyendo violación, ataque sexual, robo, y agresión agravada o simple. | |
Press Release | PDF (265K) | ASCII file (24K) | Spreadsheet
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Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000/Víctimas Hispanas de Crímenes Violentos, 1993-2000 Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations of Hispanics are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians. | |
Press Release | Spanish (Press Release) | PDF (264K) | Spanish (PDF 255K) | ASCII file (21K) | Spanish (ASCII file 24K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 73K) | Spanish (Spreadsheet 76K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version
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Violent Victimization and Race, 1993-98 Presents incidence estimates and per capita rates of violent victimization of whites, blacks, American Indians and Asians in 1998, and includes victimization trends, 1993-98. | |
Press Release (14K) | PDF (108K) | ASCII file (39K) | ZIP Format (Spreadsheet 35K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version
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American Indians and Crime Reports the rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by American Indians (Native Americans) and summarizes data on American Indians in the criminal justice system. | |
Press Release (6K) | PDF (555K) | ASCII file (110K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version
Part of the American Indians and Crime Series |
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Young Black Male Victims Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey reveal that in 1992 black males aged 12-24 experienced violent crime at a rate significantly higher than the rates for other age or social groups. | |
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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, 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 |
Terms & Definitions |
Ethnicity | A classification based on Hispanic culture and origin, regardless of race. Persons are asked directly if they are Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino before being asked about their racial category. |
Hispanic | A person who describes himself as Mexican American, Chicano, Mexican, Mexicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, South American, or from some other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. |
Non-Hispanic | Persons who report their culture or origin as something other than "Hispanic" as defined above. This distinction is made regardless of race. |
Race | For this survey respondents self identify with one or more racial categories. Racial categories for this report are white only, black only, and other race only. The "other" category is composed of Asian Pacific Islanders, and American Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos, if only one of these races is given. Persons reporting two or more races are included in the category of "more than one race". The race of the head of household is use for computing household crime demographics. |
Bureau of Justice StatisticsBJS Statistical Principals and Practices Scientific Integrity Statement OJP Freedom of Information Act |
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