From: Deborah Kay Barreau <barreau@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: Criminal Victimization '91 (BJS Press Release)
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 22:21:37 GMT

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST                            
BJS 
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1992                            
202-307-0784

    FEW SIGNIFICANT CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION RATE CHANGES 1990-1991

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. residents 12 years old or older
experienced 34.7 million crimes last year, according to a Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS) report published today.  BJS, a Department
of Justice component in the Office of Justice Programs, estimated
that there were 6.4 million violent crimes, 12.5 million thefts and
15.8 million household crimes during 1991.   
     The total number of personal and household crimes committed
last year did not change by a statistically significant amount from
the 1990 total, the report noted.  Rates in several of the major
crime categories have generally been declining since the National
Crime Victimization Survey began in 1973.
     "The rates of robbery, aggravated assault and household
burglary each showed no statistically significant changes from 1990
to 1991," noted BJS Director Steven D. Dillingham.  Because rapes
accounted for only about one-half of one percent of all crimes
measured by the survey in 1991, last year's rate for rape was not
statistically different from any annual rape rate measured during
the past ten years.  
     The violent crime rate last year was 11 percent lower than
during 1981, and the burglary rate was almost 40 percent 
lower than in 1981.  The only crime to show a statistically
significant rate increase during the past decade was motor vehicle
theft--up almost 28 percent.
     The crime victimization survey is the nation's second 
largest on-going household measure.  Last year the survey
interviewed the residents of a nationally representative sample of
42,000 households and obtained crime victim data from approximately
83,000 people.
     During 1991, personal thefts decreased slightly, reaching 61
thefts per 1,000 U.S. inhabitants, the lowest survey rate recorded
in the survey's 19 years.  The 1991 household crime rate was not
significantly different from that of 1990, when it was the lowest
since 1973.
     The violent crime rate peaked in 1981 with 35.3 victimizations
per 1,000 persons aged 12 years old or older.  The 1991 rate was
31.3 per 1,000--an 11 percent reduction during the decade, the
report noted.
     One category to show a significant rate increase during the
1990-1991 period was simple assaults, which grew an estimated 11
percent.  Aggravated assaults (attacks with a weapon or resulting 
in serious injuries) did not change significantly--the 1991 rate
was 7.8 per 1,000 U.S. residents.
     The percentage of victims reporting crimes to police 
remained unchanged between 1990 and 1991.  Thirty-eight percent 
of all crimes were reported to law enforcement agencies last 
year, including 49 percent of all violent crimes.
     Blacks were more likely than were whites to be violent crime
victims.  The rate of violent victimization among blacks was  about
50 percent higher than the rate among whites.  Rates of 
violent victimization also were highest among people under 25 years
old, residents of central cities and people living in poor
households.  
     Last year there were 13.5 robberies for every 1,000 black
residents, 4.4 robberies for every 1,000 whites and 7.4 robberies
for every 1,000 residents in other racial classifications.
     Hispanics and non-Hispanics generally had similar 
victimization rates except for robberies and for total violent 
crime.  Hispanics were robbery victims at a rate of 10 such
offenses per 1,000 residents, compared to 5.2 for non-Hispanics. 
Overall, the  violent crime victimization rate was 36.2 per 1,000
for Hispanics, compared to 30.8 per 1,000 for non-Hispanics.
     In every personal crime category males sustained significantly
higher victimization rates than did females.  For example, males
were more than 2.5 times as likely as females to experience
aggravated assaults.  
     People 65 years old or older generally had the lowest
victimization rates.  The assault rate for people 16 to 19 years
old was 79.2 per 1,000 residents, compared to 1.8 per 1,000 people
65 years old or more.
     Single copies of the BJS bulletin, "Criminal Victimization 
1991" NCJ-136947) and other BJS information and publications may be
obtained from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Box
6000, Rockville, Maryland 20850. The telephone number is 
1-301-251-5500.  The toll-free number from places other than
Maryland and metropolitan Washington, D.C., is 1-800-732-3277.    
     Data from the tables and graphs used in the BJS report can 
be made available to news organizations in spreadsheet files on 5,"
and 3+" diskettes by calling (202) 307-0784.  The statistics are
also available from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
at the University of Michigan by calling 1-800-999-0950.
                              # # #
92-89 (N)
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354

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