Victims of Crime
In 2014, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced an estimated 5.4 million violent victimizations and 15.3 property victimizations, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey. While there was no significant change in the overall rate of violent crime from 2013 to 2014, the rate of violent crime in 2014 was lower than the rate in 2012. The overall property crime rate decreased from 2013 to 2014. (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization, 2014, August 2015).
OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is committed to enhancing the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC’s Vision 21 Initiative offers a comprehensive assessment of the crime victim assistance field and the Initiative’s Final Report discusses:
- Major challenges to the integration of research into victim services.
- The tremendous need for crime victims to have access to legal assistance to address the wide range of legal issues that can arise following victimization.
- The impact of advances in technology, globalization, and changing demographics on the victim assistance field.
- The capacity for serving victims in the 21st century and some of the infrastructure issues that must be overcome to reach that capacity.
Funding Opportunities
Visit the following sites to learn about victim-related funding opportunities from OJP bureaus and other federal sources:
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Funding
- Office for Victims of Crime (OVC): Grants & Funding
- Grants.gov
See the OJP Open Solicitations page to learn more about opportunities and to access archived solicitations.
Publications and Resources
Access related publications and resources from OJP and its bureaus by visiting:
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS): Victims
- National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Victims & Victimization
- Office for Victims of Crime (OVC): Library & Multimedia
For additional resources, visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) site:
- Victims
- Search the NCJRS Abstracts Database
Programs/Initiatives
- CrimeVictims.gov
- HELP for Victim Service Providers Web Forum
- National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW)
- Online Directory of Crime Victim Services (ODCVS)
- Vision 21
Also see the Victims and Victimizations page on OJP’s CrimeSolutions.gov for ratings of related programs.
