By Craig Perkins

BJS Statistician

Estimates from the National Crime

Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicate

that between 1993 and 2001 approximately 26% of the average annual 8.9

million violent victimizations were

committed by offenders armed with 

a weapon. About 10% of the violent

victimizations involved a firearm. 

From 1993 through 2001 violent crime

declined 54%; weapon violence went

down 59%; and firearm violence, 63%.

Males, American Indians, and Hispanics, the young, and those with the

lowest annual household income were

more vulnerable to weapon violence in

general and firearm violence in particular than their respective counterparts.

For the 9-year period beginning with

1993, 23% of white victims of violence

and 36% of black victims were victims

of violence involving an offender armed

with a weapon. About 7% of white

victims and 17% of black victims were

involved in incidents in which an

offender was armed with a gun.

Forty-five percent of all violence with a

weapon involved victims between ages

25 and 49, and 38% involved victims

between ages 15 and 24.

Blacks were about 9 times more likely

than whites to be victims of gun-related

homicides (25 per 100,000 blacks 

age 12 or older versus 3 per 100,000

whites.)

$ Approximately half of all robberies,

about a quarter of all assaults, and

roughly a twelfth of all rapes/sexual

assaults involved an armed assailant.

About 90% of homicide victims were

killed with a weapon.

$ Firearm violence rates for blacks

age 12 or older (8.4 per 1,000 blacks)

were C

40% higher than rates 

for Hispanics (6.0)

200% higher than rates 

for whites (2.8 per 1,000).

$ Blacks were about 9 times more

likely than whites to be murdered 

with a firearm.

$ On average black victims of firearm

violence were 3 years younger than

white victims C 29 versus 32.

$ From 1993 through 2001 blacks

accounted for 49% of homicide

victims and 54% of victims of firearm

homicide but 12% of the U.S.

population.

$ The likelihood of an injury was the

same for victims facing armed and

unarmed offenders (26%); serious

injury was more likely from armed

offenders (7% versus 2%).

$ From 1993 through 2001 the

number of murders declined 36%

while the number of murders by

firearms dropped 41%.

$ From 1994 through 1999, the

years for which data are available,

about 7 in 10 murders at school

involved some type of firearm, and

approximately 1 in 2 murders at

school involved a handgun.

For nonfatal violent crimes, offenders were more likely to have a firearm than 

a knife or club. From 1993 to 2001 the rate of firearm violence fell 63%

0

1

2

3

4

Rates of violent crime per

1,000 persons

Firearm Knife/

object

sharp

Blunt

object

Other

weapons 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Rates per 1,000 persons

All violence

W eapon violence

Firearm violence

Highlights

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Special Report

National Crime Victimization Survey, 1993-2001

Weapon Use and Violent Crime

September 2003, NCJ 194820
While victimizations involving knives

comprised 6% of all violent crimes

resulting in an injury, these victimizations accounted for about 24% of all

serious injuries experienced by crime

victims.

The most common locales for armed

violence and gun violence were the

streets: those away from the victim’s

home (30% of violence with a weapon

and 35% of gun violence) and those at

or near the victim’s home (27% of

armed violence and 25% of gun

violence).

Most violence involving a weapon and

most firearm violence occurred while

the victims were engaged in leisure

activities away from home (27% and

27%) and commuting to work (23%

and 25%, respectively).

Weapon use varied by type of crime.

Offenders had weapons in about half 

of robberies, a fourth of assaults, and 

a twelfth of rapes/sexual assaults 

(table 1). 

Weapons and violent crime

Between 1993 and 2001, about 26%

(or an annual average of 2.3 million) of

the estimated 8.9 million violent crimes

in the United States were committed by

offenders armed with guns, knives, or

objects used as weapons. Firearm

violence accounted for 10% of all

violent crimes; about 6% were committed with a knife or other sharp object

such as scissors, ice pick, or broken

bottle; 4% with blunt objects such as a

brick, bat, or bottle; and 5% were

committed with unspecified/ ”other”

objects used as weapons.

2 Weapon Use and Violent Crime

Note: Detail may not add to total because 

of rounding.

*Victim did not know whether the offender

possessed a weapon.

Do not know* 728,370 8%

Unknown 106,890 1 5

Other 424,160 5 18

Blunt object 356,340 4 16

Knife/sharp object 569,990 6 25

Type unknown 9,110 0 0

Other gun 100,470 1 4

Handgun 737,370 8 32

Firearm 846,950 10 37

Any weapon 2,304,340 26% 100%

No weapon 5,863,750 66%

Total 8,896,460 100%

armed

violence

violent

crime

victimizationsType

of weapon

annual All All

Average Percent of C

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. aVictim did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon.

*Based on 10 or fewer sample cases. See Methodology, page 11. b

Rates per 1,000 persons age 12 or older.

All assaults 34.2 23.4 8.1 2.6 2.2 0.4 2.0 1.4 1.7 0.4 2.7

Robbery 4.5 1.8 2.2 1.2 1.1 0.1 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.5

Rape/sexual assault 1.7 1.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0* 0.0 0.0* 0.0* 0.0* 0.1

All nonlethal violence 40.3 26.6 10.4 3.8 3.3 0.5 2.6 1.6 1.9 0.5 3.3

Ratesb

All assaults 100 68.5 23.6 7.5 6.3 1.2 5.7 4.1 5.1 1.2 7.9

Robbery 100 39.2 49.7 26.8 25.1 1.7 12.8 4.7 3.7 1.7 11.1

Rape/sexual assault 100 84.9 8.0 3.4 3.4 0.0* 2.8 0.7* 0.5* 0.6* 7.1

All nonlethal violence 100% 65.9% 25.9% 9.5% 8.3% 1.2% 6.4% 4.0% 4.8% 1.2% 8.2%

Percent

knowa crime crimes weapon weapon All Handgun firearms object object weapon weapon

Violent All No Any Other sharp Blunt Other type of Do not

Firearm Knife/ Unspecified

Table 2. Violent crime, by type of weapon, 1993-2001

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

*Based on 10 or fewer sample cases. See Methodology, page 11. a

Victim did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon.

No weapon 4 85 39 69

Do not know 4 7 11 8 a

Other 3 1 5 6

Blunt object 5 1* 5 4

Knife/sharp object 13 3 13 6

Firearm 70 3 27 8

Any weapon 91 8 50 24

 Total 100% 100% 100% 100%

Type of weapon Homicide assault Robbery assaults

Rape/sexual All

Table 1. Weapon use, by type of violent crime, 1993-2001

Note: Data from cases for which injury information was available.

*Victim did not know whether the offender

possessed a weapon.

Do not know* 8 6 5

Blunt object/other 10 20 14

Knife/sharp object 6 24 4

Firearm 10 13 4

Any weapon 26 57 23

No weapon 66 37 72

 Total 100% 100% 100%

Minor

injury

Serious

injury

With/without injuryType

of weapon

Violent crime

The National Crime Victimization

Survey (NCVS)

The NCVS is the Nation's primary

source of information on criminal victimization. Data are continuously obtained

from a nationally representative sample

of approximately 43,000 households

comprising nearly 80,000 persons age

12 or older. Household members are

asked about the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of victimization.

The survey enables the Bureau of

Justice Statistics (BJS) to estimate the

rate of victimization for rape, attempted

rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault,

theft, household burglary, and motor

vehicle theft. The rates describe the

vulnerability to crime by the population

as a whole as well as by segments of

the population such as women, the

elderly, members of racial and ethnic

groups, and city dwellers.

For the most current estimates of criminal victimization in the United States,

see Criminal Victimization 2001:

Changes 2000-2001 with Trends 

1993-2001 <www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs>.
Firearms

Between 1993 and 2001 victims were

confronted by offenders armed with

guns in about 27% of robberies, 8% of

assaults, and 3% of all rapes/sexual

assaults (table 2).

U.S. residents were victims of crimes

committed with firearms at a annual

average rate of 4 crimes per 1,000

persons age 12 or older. Of the

average 847,000 violent victimizations

committed with firearms, about 7 out 

of 8 were committed with handguns.

Knives and sharp objects

Annually during the 9-year period,

about 570,000 violent victimizations

were committed with a knife or other

sharp object, accounting for 6% of all

violent crimes. Thirteen percent of

robberies, 6% of assaults, and 3% 

of rapes were committed with a knife 

or other sharp object.

From 1993 through 2001 crimes involving knives or sharp objects were

committed at an average annual rate of

3 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. 

In 85% of these victimizations, about

482,000 annually, the weapon was a

knife. In the remainder, about 88,000

victimizations per year on average, the

weapon was another type of sharp

object.

Blunt objects

Armed with blunt objects such as bats,

sticks, rocks, clubs, or blackjacks,

offenders committed approximately

356,000 violent crimes as an annual

average from 1993 through 2001. 

Crimes by offenders armed with blunt

objects were committed at an annual

average rate of 2 per 1,000 persons

age 12 or older. 

Other weapons

Between 1993 and 2001 about 5% of

all violent crimes were committed with

weapons other than guns, knives, or

blunt objects. Such weapons include

ropes, chains, poison, martial arts

weapons, BB guns (not considered to

be firearms by the NCVS), and objects

that could not be classified.

Weapon use and crime outcome

Weapon use varied by crime. Robberies, followed by all assaults, were more

likely to involve an armed assailant

while rape/sexual assault was the least

likely.

Robbery

Armed robberies were more likely to be

completed, resulting in loss of property,

than unarmed robberies. Higher

completion percentages occurred for

robberies committed with firearms than

for robberies with knives and other

sharp objects or blunt objects/other

weapons. Robberies committed with

knives and unarmed robberies were

completed at similar percentages.

Rape/sexual assault

For the 9-year period beginning in

1993, the percentage of rapes/sexual

assaults that was completed did not

vary significantly depending on the

offenders’ possession of a weapon.

About 71% of rapes/sexual assaults

involving no weapon were completed;

of such assaults with a weapon, 67%

were completed. 

Assault

The outcome for incidents of assault 

is measured by whether a victim

sustained an injury as a result of the

crime.

Overall, about 1 in 4 assault victims

were injured during the incident.

Victims of firearm violence were less

likely than other victims to be injured.

About 1 in 3 assault victims were

injured when the offender possessed a

blunt object or some unspecified type

of weapon. About 1 in 4 victims were

injured when the assailant had a knife.

 Weapon Use and Violent Crime 3

Definitions of weapons

Firearms include handguns (pistols,

revolvers, derringers) and shotguns,

rifles, and other firearms (excluding BB

and pellet guns and air rifles).

Sharp objects include knives and other

sharp edged and/or pointed objects

(scissors, ice picks, and axes).

Blunt objects include rocks, clubs,

blackjacks, bats, and metal pipes.

Other weapons include ropes, chains,

poison, martial arts weapons, BB guns,

and objects that could not be classified.

Other 109,580 13 0.5

Handgun 737,360 87 3.3

 Total 846,940 100% 3.8

of firearm number Percent 12 or older

Type annual 1,000 age

Average Rate per

Violent victimizations, 1993-2001

Note: “Completed” includes rapes and sexual

assaults, and “attempted” includes attempted

rape. There were too few sample cases for

analysis by type of weapon.

Firearm 100 74 26

Any weapon 100 67 33

No weapon 100 71 29

100% 69% 31%

All rapes/sexual

assaults

of weapon Total pleted tempted

Type Com- AtRapes/sexual assaults,

1993-2001

Sharp object 88,120 15 0.4

Knife 481,870 85 2.2

 Total 569,990 100% 2.6

edged weapon number Percent 12 or older

Type of sharp annual 1,000 age

Average Rate per Assaults

All assaults in this report represent

simple and aggravated assault

examined together.

Simple assault is an attack without a

weapon resulting in either no injury or

minor injury. 

Aggravated assault is an attack or

attempted attack with a weapon, regardless of whether an injury occurred and

attack without a weapon when serious

injury results. 

A discussion of minor and serious injury

appears on page 6.

Simple assault 73

Did not involve a weapon 1

Involved a weapon 26

Aggravated assault 27

All assaults 100%

a

Includes victims who did not know whether the

offender possessed a weapon.

b

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and

unspecified objects used as weapons.

Blunt object/other 100 67 33 b

Knife/sharp object 100 57 43

Firearm 100 79 21

Any weapon 100 71 29

No weapon 100 60 40

All robberiesa 100% 66% 34%

of weapon Total pleted tempted

Type Com- AtRobberies, 1993-2001
Victim characteristics

Males, blacks, Hispanics, and those

between ages 15 and 24 were more

vulnerable than their respective

counterparts to violent crime committed by armed assailants.

Gender

Between 1993 and 2001, approximately 1 in 3 male victims of violent

crime faced an armed offender. About

1 in 5 female victims of violent crime

faced an armed assailant (table 3).

Males were twice as likely as females

to be confronted by an armed offender

(14 versus 7 per 1,000 persons respectively). This pattern was generally

consistent across weapon types; for

each type of weapon, the victimization

rate for males was about twice that 

for females.

Race and ethnicity

For each type of weapon, victimization

rates for whites were lower than those

for blacks or Hispanics.1

 Blacks were

victimized by offenders armed with

guns at higher rates than Hispanics but

at similar rates as American Indians.

Blacks had similar victimization rates

as Hispanics for crimes committed with

knives or blunt objects/other weapons.

The rate of firearm violence for blacks

was more than twice that for whites (8

versus 3 per 1,000) (table 4). The rate

for Hispanics (6 per 1,000) was about

twice that for whites.

No significant differences separated

the rates at which whites and blacks

were victimized by unarmed offenders. 

The rate of armed violence for American Indians (25 per 1,000 American

Indians) was C

$ 43% higher than the rate for 

blacks (18 per 1,000 blacks)

$ 78% higher than the rate for 

Hispanics (14 per 1,000 Hispanics)

$ 184% higher than the rate for 

whites (9 per 1,000).

Age, weapons, and violence

For overall violence, persons age

12-14, 15-17, and 18-20 were victimized at similar rates, higher than those

for persons age 21 or older (table 5).

Vulnerability to victimization by an

armed offender similarly varied by the

age of victim. Younger persons,

particularly those age 18-20, had

higher rates of victimization by armed

offenders.

The rate of firearm violence was also

highest for persons age 18-20. Their

rate (12 per 1,000 persons) was about

40% higher than the rate for persons

ages 15 to 17 and 21 to 24. 

Except for victims age 12-14, for whom

firearm violence constituted about 3%

of all violent crime, firearm violence

accounted for between 9% and 13% 

of all violent crime for each age group.

Similarly, crimes committed with

knives/sharp objects accounted for 6%

to 8%, and crimes with other weapons,

9% to 11% of all violent crime for each

age group examined. 

4 Weapon Use and Violent Crime

1

In this report race and ethnicity are analyzed

together. White, black, Asian/Pacific Islander,

and American Indian refer to non-Hispanic

persons.

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

a

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects used as weapons.

b

Victim did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon.

Female 34.2 24.8 6.8 2.4 1.8 2.7 2.5

Male 46.9 28.5 14.3 5.4 3.5 5.4 4.1

Rate

Violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older

Female 100 72.5 20.0 7.0 5.1 7.9 7.5

Male 100% 60.8% 30.5% 11.5% 7.4% 11.6% 8.8%

Percent

knowb othera of victim crime weapon weapon Firearm object

Gender All No Any Sharp Blunt object/ Do not

Nonlethal violent victimization

Table 3. Type of weapon, by gender of victims, 1993-2001

a

Includes victim who did not know whether the

offender possessed a weapon.

b

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and

unspecified objects used as weapons. 

Blunt object/other 100 66 34 b

Knife/sharp object 100 74 26

Firearm 100 87 13

Any weapon 100 75 25

No weapon 100 76% 24%

 All assaultsa 100% 76% 24%

of weapon Total injured Injured

Type Not

Assaults, 1993-2001

Offender use of firearms

Of incidents involving offenders 

with firearms, victims — 

were shot (3%)

were shot at but not hit (8%)

were struck with a firearm (4%)

were threatened with a firearm (72%)

did not describe offender’s use of

firearms (13%).

a

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects used as weapons.

b

Victim did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon.

Hispanic 42.9 25.4 14.2 6.0 3.7 4.5 3.3

Asian 20.7 12.0 6.5 2.7 1.7 2.0 2.2

American Indian 97.2 65.0 25.3 7.7 4.9 12.7 6.9

Black 48.9 26.5 17.6 8.4 4.1 5.1 4.7

White 39.2 27.2 8.9 2.8 2.2 3.8 3.1

Rate

Violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older

Hispanic 100 59.3 33.0 14.0 8.5 10.4 7.8

Asian 100 58.1 31.2 13.3 8.1 9.8 10.7

American Indian 100 66.8 26.1 8.0 5.0 13.1 7.1

Black 100 54.2 36.1 17.2 8.4 10.5 9.7

White 100% 69.4% 22.7% 7.3% 5.7% 9.8% 7.9%

Percent

knowb othera of victim of violence All weapon weapon Firearm object

Race/ethnicity No Any Sharp Blunt object/ Do not

Nonlethal violent victimization

Table 4. Race and ethnicity of victims of violent crime, 

by type of weapon, 1993-2001
Forty-five percent of all armed violence

involved victims between 25 and 49,

and 38% was against victims age 15-

24.

Race, ethnicity, and age

When race and ethnicity are added to

the considerations of age, some differences in victimization rates between

age categories emerge for crimes

committed with any weapon or with a

firearm. Both for crimes committed with

any weapon and for firearm violence

specifically, differences between black

and Hispanic victimization rates were

greatest within the age category 18-20

(figures 1 and 2).

Whites and blacks, age 18-20, were

more likely than whites and blacks of

other ages to have been victims of

weapon violence in general and firearm

violence in particular.

Hispanics of ages 15-17 and 18-20

were more vulnerable than other

Hispanics to violence involving a

weapon and violence involving a

firearm.

The rates of violent victimization,

violent victimization involving a

weapon, and violent victimization

involving a firearm for persons age

18-20 were approximately 20 times

those of persons age 65 or older. 

For blacks, whites, and Hispanics,

victims of violent crime were, on

average, younger than the general

population. For the general population

as well as for the victim population, the

mean age of whites was greater than

the mean age of blacks (table 6).

Overall among the victims, blacks were

older than Hispanics, the youngest

racial or ethnic group considered. This

pattern of relative ages was true for

victims of violence involving firearms. 

Annual household income 

Persons with annual household 

incomes of less than $7,500 experienced both armed violence and firearm

violence at about 3 times the rates 

of persons with annual household

incomes of $50,000 or more (23.1

versus 7.3 armed victimizations per

1,000 persons, and 8.4 versus 2.4

firearm victimizations, respectively)

(table 7). 

 Weapon Use and Violent Crime 5

For each age category, blacks and

Hispanics had higher rates of

violence than whites — involving a

weapon and involving a firearm

25 or older

21 to 24

18 to 20

15 to 17

12 to 14

0 10 20 30 40 50

Age of victim

Rate of violent victimization 

Hispanic

Black

W hite

with weapons per 1,000 persons

All weapon violence

25 or older

21 to 24

18 to 20

15 to 17

12 to 14

0 10 20 30 40

Age of victim

Rate of violent victimization 

with firearms per 1,000 persons

All firearm violence

Hispanic

Black

W hite

Note: Detail may not add to totals

because of rounding.

65 or older 15 2 2

50 to 64 17 6 6

35 to 49 28 22 24

25 to 34 18 23 24

21 to 24 7 13 14

18 to 20 5 14 16

15 to 17 5 11 11

12 to 14 5 8 3

 Total 100% 100% 100%

Firearm

All

weapons

PopulationAge

of victim

a

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects used as weapons.

b

Victim did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon.

65 or older 4.5 2.4 1.4 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.7

50 to 64 15.1 9.6 3.8 1.4 0.8 1.5 1.8

35 to 49 32.6 21.2 8.3 3.2 1.9 3.2 3.1

25 to 34 48.6 31.4 13.3 5.0 3.1 5.2 4.0

21 to 24 71.3 45.4 20.5 8.4 5.4 6.7 5.3

18 to 20 94.3 59.0 28.4 11.8 6.7 9.9 6.9

15 to 17 90.3 60.7 22.7 8.1 5.9 8.7 6.9

12 to 14 91.7 70.8 16.4 2.4 5.8 8.2 4.5

Rates per 1,000 persons

65 or older 100 54.4 30.4 13.1 6.1 11.2 15.2

50 to 64 100 63.4 24.9 9.1 5.5 10.2 11.7

35 to 49 100 64.9 25.5 9.8 5.7 9.9 9.6

25 to 34 100 64.5 27.4 10.3 6.4 10.7 8.1

21 to 24 100 63.7 28.8 11.9 7.6 9.3 7.5

18 to 20 100 62.6 30.1 12.6 7.1 10.5 7.3

15 to 17 100 67.3 25.1 8.9 6.5 9.7 7.6

12 to 14 100% 77.2% 17.9% 2.6% 6.3% 9.0% 4.9%

Percent

knowb othera of victim crime weapon weapon Firearm object

Age All No Any Sharp Blunt object/ Do not

Type of weapon

Table 5. Weapons used in violent crime, by age of victims, 1993-2001

Firearms 32 29 26

All weapons 30 28 26

29 27 26

All victims of

violent crime

43 yr 38 yr 34 yr

All persons age

12 or older

of weapon White Black Hispanic

Type Mean age

Table 6. Mean age of victim, 

by race/Hispanic origin and type 

of weapon, 1993-2001

Figures 1 and 2
Annual household income 

and race/ethnicity

Blacks at every income level were

more vulnerable than whites to be

victims of firearm violence. Whites and

blacks with household incomes below

$7,500 were more vulnerable to armed

violence than their counterparts with

higher incomes.

For violence by an offender with a

weapon and for violence by an offender

armed with a gun, blacks with household incomes of less than $50,000

were victimized at rates higher than

those of Hispanics or whites with

similar incomes.

Weapons and injuries

For 1993-2001 about a quarter of

violent crimes overall resulted in an

injury to the victim (table 8). Crimes

committed with weapons and crimes

committed without weapons were

about equally likely to result in victim

injury (26%). Crimes committed with

weapons, however, were about 3.5

times as likely to result in serious injury

as crimes committed by unarmed

offenders (7% versus 2%,

respectively).

Of all violence with a weapon, the

crimes committed with blunt objects/

other weapons were the most often

associated with victim injury (36%).

Twenty-eight percent of the crimes

with knives/sharp objects and 15% 

of crimes with firearms involved injury. 

Offenders armed with knives

accounted for 6% of all violence but

24% of all serious injuries — having

inflicted serious injury on about 1 in 8

of their victims. About 1 in 15 victims 

of offenders using a blunt object/other

weapon and 1 in 22 victims of offenders with a firearm sustained serious

injury.

Because completed rape is considered

an injury, victims of rape/sexual assault

were more likely than robbery or

assault victims to be injured, regardless of offender weapon use. For all

weapon types, robbery victims were

more likely than assault victims to

sustain injury.

6 Weapon Use and Violent Crime

At almost every level of household

income, blacks were more vulnerable

than whites and Hispanics 

to violence involving a weapon 

and involving a firearm

$50,000 

$25,000 to

$ 7,500 to

Less than

0 10 20 30 40

Annual household income

Rate of violent victimization 

with weapons per 1,000 persons

$7,500

$24,999

$49,999

or more

All weapon violence

Hispanic

Black

W hite

$50,000 

$25,000 to 

$ 7,500 to 

Less than 

0 10 20 30 40

Annual household income

Rate of violent victimization 

with firearms per 1,000 persons

All firearm violence

Hispanic

Black

W hite

or more

$49,999

$24,999

$7,500

Figures 3 and 4

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. 

a

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects used as weapons.

b

Victim did not know if the offender possessed a weapon.

c

Rates of victimization per 1,000 persons age 12 or older.

$50,000 or more 32.9 23.0 7.3 2.4 1.8 3.1 2.7

$25,000 to $49,999 41.0 28.1 9.8 3.4 2.4 4.0 3.1

$7,500 to $24,999 47.5 30.3 13.5 5.3 3.2 5.0 3.8

Less than $7,500 74.7 45.3 23.1 8.4 6.6 8.2 6.2

Ratesc

$50,000 or more 100 69.7 22.2 7.4 5.5 9.4 8.1

$25,000 to $49,999 100 68.6 23.8 8.4 5.8 9.7 7.6

$7,500 to $24,999 100 63.7 28.3 11.1 6.7 10.5 7.9

Less than $7,500 100% 60.7% 31.0% 11.2% 8.8% 11.0% 8.3%

Percent

knowb othera violent crimes crime weapon Any Firearm object

income of victims of All No Sharp Blunt object/ not

Annual household Type of weapon Do

Table 7. Annual household income, by type of weapon, 1993-2001

Definition of types of injuries

Serious injuries include gunshot or

knife wounds, broken bones, loss of

teeth, internal injuries, loss of

consciousness, and undetermined

injuries requiring 2 or more days of

hospitalization.

Minor injuries include bruises, black

eyes, cuts, scratches, swelling, chipped

teeth, and undetermined injuries requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization.

Rape is sexual intercourse forced on the

victim through physical or psychological

coercion. Forced sexual intercourse

means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration

by the offender(s), including penetration

by a foreign object. Victims can be male

or female, and the rape can be heterosexual or homosexual. NCVS defines

completed rape as a serious injury.

Rape without additional injuries, for

the purposes of this report, were categorized as an injury but not as a serious or

minor injury. Cases in which the victim

suffered additional injuries were grouped

according to the severity of those

additional injuries.

*Victim did not know whether the offender

possessed a weapon.

Do not know* 8 6 5

 Blunt object/other 10 20 14

 Sharp object 6 24 4

 Firearm 10 13 4

Any weapon 26 57 23

No weapon 66 37 72

 Total 100% 100% 100%

Minor 

injury

Serious

injury

With/without injuryType

of weapon

Violent crime
Robbery and injuries

About half of victims of robbery by

offenders armed with blunt objects/

other weapons sustained an injury

during the crime.

About a third of victims of robbery by

unarmed offenders (36%) and offenders armed with knives or sharp objects

(31%) sustained injury during the

victimization.

Offenders armed with any weapon

other than a firearm inflicted a serious

injury during about 1 in 7 robberies that

they committed.

Victims of robbery by offenders armed

with blunt objects/other weapons were

more likely than victims of robbery by

offenders armed with a firearm to be

attacked without a prior threat. 

Assault

Victims were injured in a third of all

assaults by offenders armed with blunt

objects/other weapons. Less than a

third of assaults by offenders armed

with guns or knives resulted in injury

(13% and 26%, respectively). Victims

of offenders armed with a knife or

sharp object were the most likely to

sustain a serious injury; 12% of such

offenses resulted in serious injury.

Rape/sexual assault

About half of all victims of rape/sexual

assault committed by unarmed offenders were injured, compared to threequarters of victims of such crimes by

armed offenders.2

 Injuries sustained

include completed rape. (See definitions of type of injuries on page 6.)

Characteristics of the incident

Time of incident

Violent crimes at night were more likely

than crimes occurring during the day to

involve a weapon (30% versus 21%,

respectively ) or a firearm (12% versus

6%, respectively). Three of every five

crimes committed by an offender with 

a firearm occurred at night.

 Weapon Use and Violent Crime 7

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

/No sample cases.

a

Includes rape without additional injuries. All the detail of weapon type for rape would

have been based on 10 or fewer cases and are therefore not reported.

b

Includes victims who did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon.

c

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects used as weapons.

Blunt object/other 100 66.2 33.8 5.6 28.2 / c

Knife/sharp object 100 74.5 25.5 12.3 13.2 /

Firearm 100 87.0 13.0 4.8 8.1 /

Any weapon 100 74.9 25.1 7.0 18.2 /

No weapon 100 76.0 24.0 1.8 22.3 /

Assault 100% 76.5% 23.5% 3.0% 20.5% / b

Blunt object/other 100 48.9 51.1 13.8 37.3 / c

Knife/sharp object 100 69.1 30.9 13.5 17.4 /

Firearm 100 83.6 16.4 4.2 12.2 /

Any weapon 100 72.8 27.2 8.5 18.7 /

No weapon 100 64.3 35.7 3.1 32.6 /

Robbery 100% 69.2% 30.8% 5.9% 24.9% / b

Any weapon 100 24.8 75.2 10.1 35.0 30.1

No weapon 100 48.4 51.6 1.7 19.9 30.0

Rape/sexual assaultb 100% 46.8% 53.2% 2.9% 21.1% 29.3%

Blunt object/other 100 64.0 36.0 6.5 29.3 0.1 c

Knife/sharp object 100 72.3 27.7 12.7 14.5 0.5

Firearm 100 85.0 15.0 4.6 9.8 0.6

Any weapon 100 73.8 26.2 7.3 18.5 0.4

No weapon 100 73.7 26.3 1.9 22.8 1.6

Totalb 100% 74.4% 25.6% 3.3% 21.0% 1.2%

Rape Minor a by type of weapon crime injury All Serious

Type of crime All No Type of injuries

Table 8. Injury from violent victimizations, by type of weapon, 1993-2001

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of

rounding.

a

Includes victims who did not know whether the

offender possessed a weapon.

b

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and

unspecified objects used as weapons.

100 33 67 1

 Blunt object/

otherb

100 42 57 0

 Knife/

sharp object

 Firearm 100 48 50 1

Any weapon 100 41 58 1

No weapon 100 35 64 1

Robberya 100% 36% 63% 1%

weapon All Yes No Unsure

Did assailant threaten

Type of before attacking you?

Figures 5 and 6

2

The small number of sample cases 

of rape/sexual assault, the least frequent nonlethal violent crime, prevents further examination

of injuries by type of weapon. 

About a third of violent crimes 

involving a weapon or a firearm

occurred on the street away 

from the victim's home

 School

 Other*

Parking lot

 Commercial place

 At or near home

 Street

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Location of incident

Percent of violence

Home of

friend/relative

involving any weapon

All weapon violence

School

Other*

Parking lot

Commercial place

At or near home

Street

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Location of incident

Percent of violence

*Such as open areas, playgrounds (other

Home of

friend/relative

than at school), or public transportation.

involving a firearm

All firearm violence

Night 46 55 62

Day 54 45 38

 Total 100% 100% 100%

incident crime weapon Firearms

Time of All Any

*"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and

unspecified objects used as weapons.

8 8

Do not know 

if weapon present

Blunt object/other* 9 11

Sharp object 6 7

Firearm 6 12

Any weapon 21 30

No weapon 71 62

 Total 100% 100%

weapon Day Night

Percent of violent crime

Type of occurring during —
Activity and location

Crime by armed offenders was most

likely to occur while the victim was

engaged in leisure activity away from

home (27%) or traveling to or from

work or school (23%) (table 9). Nearly

21% of victims of armed violence were

involved in some activity at home at the

time of the incident.

The most common location for crimes

by armed offenders was on the street

away from the victim’s home (30%)

(figure 5). About a quarter of all

violence by armed offenders occurred

at or near the victim’s home.

About 6% of armed violence, and 2%

of firearm violence occurred at a

school or on school grounds (figure 6).

Victim-offender relationship

Crimes committed by intimates were

less likely than crimes committed by

strangers to involve a weapon. The

offender was armed in a third of all

violence by a stranger and in a sixth 

of all violence committed by an

intimate.

Victims of crimes by strangers were

also more likely than victims of crimes

by intimates to be confronted by an

offender with a firearm (14% versus

5%, respectively).

Trends

Violent victimization rates declined

from 1993 to 2001. Rates for crimes

committed with firearms reflected a

larger decrease than did the rates for

overall violence and armed violence in

general. Between 1993 and 2001

overall violence decreased 54%,

armed violence fell 59%, and firearm

violence declined 63%.

The rates of firearm violence for blacks

and Hispanics fell relatively more than

the rate for whites, 1993-2001. In 1993

blacks and Hispanics were victims of

firearm violence at a rate of 13 firearm

crimes per 1,000 persons, about 3

times the rate for whites. By 2001 the

rate for blacks had fallen to about 4 per

1,000, roughly 2.5 times that for whites.

In 2001 Hispanics experienced firearm

violence at a rate per 1,000 similar to

those for both blacks and whites.

From 1993 to 2001, rates of violence

involving firearms declined among all

age groups. The decline was greatest

among the youngest victims: by 2001,

persons age 12-14 had experienced a

97% decrease in the rate of firearm

violence, and those age 15-17, a 77%

decrease.

Homicide and weapons

Between 1993 and 2001 local law

enforcement agencies reported

160,396 murders and nonnegligent

manslaughters of persons age 12 or

older to the FBI’s Supplementary

Homicide Reports. (The homicides that

occurred in the events of September

11, 2001, were not included.) There

was an annual average of 17,822

murders of persons age 12 or older

(table 10). A weapon was used in 91%

of these crimes. In 4% of the

homicides, the offender used a means

such as strangling, punching, and

kicking. Information about the weapon

used was unavailable in 5% of all

homicides.

Seventy percent of homicide victims

were killed with a firearm. Handguns

were used in 56% of all homicides.

8 Weapon Use and Violent Crime

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

a

"Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects used as weapons.

b

Victim did not know whether the offender possessed a weapon. 

Other 7.5 7.4 7.8 7.9 7.7 7.7 7.2

Traveling to or from work 16.9 13.6 22.9 25.4 18.6 23.2 25.0

Leisure away from home 22.8 21.0 26.9 26.6 25.1 28.4 24.5

Shopping 3.8 3.1 4.7 5.6 4.8 3.8 6.3

Home 22.5 23.8 20.5 18.4 23.2 20.7 17.9

School 8.5 11.3 2.8 1.1 4.6 3.3 4.6

Work 18.0 19.8 14.5 15.0 16.0 13.0 14.5

Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

knowb othera of the incident crime weapon Any Firearm object

Victim's activity at time All No Sharp Blunt object/ not

Type of weapon Do

Percent of violent victimizations

Table 9. Type of weapon, by victim’s activity 

at time of incident, 1993-2001

*

Note: Detail may not add to totals because 

of rounding.

a

Blunt objects as well as other objects such as

ropes, chains, poison, and unspecified objects.

b

Victim did not know whether the offender

possessed a weapon.

Do not know 4 5 11 b

7 9 11

 Blunt object/

othera

 Sharp object 4 6 7

 Firearm 5 5 14

Any weapon 16 20 33

No weapon 80 75 56

 Total 100% 100% 100%

Stranger

Known

nonIntimates intimateType

of weapon

Victim-offender relationship

Note: Detail may not add to subtotals because

of rounding. The homicides that occurred in

the events of September 11, 2001, were not

included.

a

Includes hands and feet. 

b

The police record did not contain information 

on the type of weapon used in the homicide.

Do not know 847 4.8 0.4 b

No weapon 767 4.3 0.3 a

Other weapon 492 2.8 0.2

Blunt object 823 4.6 0.4

2,406 13.5 1.1

Knife/

sharp object

Unknown type 1,002 5.6 0.5

Other gun 44 0.2 0.0

Rifle 611 3.4 0.3

Shotgun 771 4.3 0.3

Handgun 10,058 56.4 4.6

Firearm 12,486 70.1 5.7

Any weapon 16,207 90.9 7.3

 Total 17,822 100% 8.1

Rates per

100,000

Percent persons

Average

annual

number

Type

of weapon

Homicide of persons 

age 12 or older

Table 10. Homicides of persons 

age 12 or older, by weapon type, 

1993-2001
Gender

Male homicide victims were more likely

than female victims to have been killed

by a firearm. Eight in ten male

homicide victims were killed with a

firearm, compared to 6 in 10 female

victims.

Knives or other sharp objects were the

second most frequently used weapon

in homicides of both males and

females (13% and 22%, respectively).

Males were 5 times more likely than

females to be a victim of a homicide

committed with a firearm (10 versus 2

per 100,000 persons, respectively),

and twice as likely to be murdered with

a knife or other sharp object (2 versus

1 per 100,000, respectively).

Race

From 1993 to 2001, blacks were 12%

of the U.S. population age 12 or older

but 49% of all homicide victims and

54% of all victims of firearm homicide.

Among homicide victims, blacks were

more likely than whites to have been

killed with a firearm. About 8 in 10

black homicide victims and 7 in 10

white homicide victims died from

gunshot injuries.

Blacks were about 7 times more likely

than whites to be a homicide victim 

(30 versus 4 per 100,000 persons age

12 or older respectively), and approximately 9 times more likely to be a

victim of a homicide committed with a

firearm (25 versus 3 per 100,000

persons age 12 or older, respectively).

Age

Persons age 18 to 24 were victims of

homicide overall as well as firearm

homicides at the highest rates (table

11). Those age 18 to 24 were 3.5 times

as likely as persons age 12 to 17 and

about 3 times as likely as those age 25

to 64 to be killed with a firearm.

There appears to be a relationship

between the age of the victim and the

type of homicide weapon. Victims of

firearm murders were, on average, 

6 years younger than victims of

homicides committed with knives/other

 Weapon Use and Violent Crime 9

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Rates per 1,000 persons

All violence

W eapon violence

Violent crime, crime with weapons,

Firearm violence

and crime with firearms, 1993-2001

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

0

4

8

12

16

Rates per 1,000 persons

Hispanic origin of victims, 1993-2001

Firearm violence, by race and

Black

Hispanic

W hite

From 1993 through 2001 nonfatal firearm violence declined for all races, for Hispanics, and for all age groups

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

0

4

8

12

16

20

Rates per 1,000 persons

18-20

15-17 21-24

12-14

25-64

65+

Firearm violence, by age of victim,

1993-2001

*Estimates for some data years are 

Figures 7,8, and 9 based on 10 or fewer sample cases. 

65 or older* -29

25-64 -60

21-24 -67

Firearm violence -63 Non-Hispanic white -54 18-20 -47

Weapon violence -59 Non-Hispanic black -70 15-17 -77

All violence -54% Hispanic -80% 12-14* -97%

Percent decrease in

the rate of violence

involving firearms per

1,000 persons age 12

or older, 1993-2001

Age

of victim

Percent change in the

rate of violence involving firearms per 1,000

persons age 12 or

older, 1993-2001

Race/Hispanic

origin

of victim

Percent change

in the rate per 

1,000 persons 

age 12 or older,

1993-2001

Type of 

victimization

Note: Detail may not add to totals because

of rounding. The homicides that occurred 

in the events of September 11, 2001, were

not included.

*Per 100,000 persons age 12 or older.

Blunt object/other 1 1

Knife/sharp object 2 1

Firearm 10 2

Any weapon 12 3

Rates*

Blunt object/other 6 17

Knife/sharp object 13 22

Firearm 81 61

Percent 100% 100%

of weapon Male Female

Gender of

Type homicide victim

Note: Excludes homicides that had

unknown race of victim or unknown

means of homicide.

Other 4 3 2

Black 12 49 54

White 84 48 44

Total 100% 100% 100%

of victim lation All Firearm

Race Popu- Homicides

Note: Detail may not add to totals

because of rounding. The

homicides that occurred in the

events of September 11, 2001,

were not included.

‡

Less than 0.5.

*Rates per 100,000 persons 

age 12 or older.

Blunt object/other ‡ 2

Knife/sharp object 1 4

Firearm 3 25

Rates* 4 30

Blunt object/other 11 5

Knife/sharp object 17 12

Firearm 72 82

Percent 100% 100%

of weapon White Black

Race of 

Type homicide victim
sharp objects (31 versus 37 years old,

respectively), and 12 years younger

than victims of homicides committed

with blunt objects (age 43) (table 12).

Race and age

On average, black murder victims were

5 years younger than white victims

(age 31 versus age 36, respectively).

The same age difference existed for

firearm murders (age 28 versus age

33, respectively). Black and white

victims of murders committed with

knives or blunt objects were, on

average, closer in age.

Trends in homicides, 1993-2001

The number of homicides declined

36% between 1993 and 2001. Firearmhomicides decreased 41% during the

period. In 1993, 72% of homicides of

persons age 12 or older were committed with firearms. In 2001, 66% were

committed with firearms.

10 Weapon Use and Violent Crime

Murders of children under age 12

Weapons in general and firearms specifically were less

commonly used against murder victims under age 12 than

against those age 12 or older.

From 1993 through 2001, about 2 in 5 murders of children

under age 12 involved a weapon, and about 1 in 6 involved

a firearm. Among victims age 12 or older, 91% of the

murders were committed with a weapon, and 70% were

committed with a firearm.

In 1993 firearms accounted for 19% of murders of persons

under age 12. This peak of 195 incidents preceded a

decline; in 2001, 15% of all such murders (127 of the 824

total) involved a firearm.

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

*Includes hands/fists and feet.

Missing data 126 14.3 0.3

No weapon* 399 45.3 0.9

 Other weapon 120 13.6 0.3

 Blunt object 56 6.3 0.1

 Knife/sharp object 40 4.6 0.1

 Firearm 141 16.0 0.3

Any weapon 356 40.5 0.8

Total 881 100% 1.9

of weapon number Percent under age 12

Type annual 100,000 persons

Average Rate per

Murders of persons younger 

than age 12, 1993-2001

1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

0

100

200

300

400

Number of murders of children under age 12

Firearms

*Includes hands/fists and feet.

No weapon*

Other

weapons

Black 38 31 28 36 42

White 42 36 33 38 44

 Overall 41 yr 33 yr 31 yr 37 yr 43 yr

of victim 12 or older All homicides Firearm Sharp object Blunt object/other

Race lation age Mean age of homicide victims 

General popuTable 12. Mean age of homicide victims age 12 or older, 

by race and type of weapon, 1993-2001

Note: Detail may not add to totals because 

of rounding. The nonnegligent homicides that

occurred in the events of September 11,

2001, were not included.

ILess than 0.5.

*Rates per 100,000 persons in each age

category.

other I 1 1 1 1

Blunt object/

I 2 2 1 1

Knife/sharp

object

Firearm 4 16 15 5 1

Rate* 5 18 18 7 2

other 5 3 4 9 27

Blunt object/

9 9 10 17 26

Knife/sharp

object

Firearm 86 88 86 73 46

Percent 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

of weapon 17 20 24 64 older

Type 12- 18- 21- 25- 65 or

Homicides

Table 11. Homicide, by the victim's

age and the type of weapon, 1993-2001

*Rates per 100,000 persons age 12 or older.

The nonnegligent homicides that occurred 

in the events of September 11, 2001, were 

not included.

-36.0 -41.2

 Overall,

1993-2001

-4.8% -5.7%

 Annual

average

Percent change

in number of homicides

2001 6.4 4.3

2000 6.4 4.4

1999 6.4 4.4

1998 7.1 4.8

1997 7.7 5.5

1996 8.4 5.9

1995 9.4 6.7

1994 10.3 7.5

1993 11.0 7.9

Average rate* 8.1 5.7

2001 14,826 9,814 66.2

2000 14,453 9,906 68.5

1999 14,462 9,895 68.4

1998 15,742 10,718 68.1

1997 17,007 12,027 70.7

1996 18,411 12,968 70.4

1995 20,350 14,383 70.7

1994 21,967 15,967 72.7

1993 23,179 16,697 72.0

number 17,822 12,486 70.1%

Average

Year All Firearms firearm

Percent of

homicides

with a

Homicide of persons

age 12 or older
Methodology

Except for homicide data obtained

from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, this report presents data

from the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Between 1993

and 2001 the Census Bureau interviewed approximately 651,750 individuals age 12 or older in 336,295

households. For the NCVS data

presented, response rates varied

between 93% and 96% of eligible

households, and between 89% and

92% of eligible individuals.

Violent acts covered in this report

include murder, rape, sexual assault,

robbery, and assault (aggravated and

simple) against persons age 12 or

older. Overall violent crime is a combination of each type of crime.

Hypothesis testing and the NCVS

Standard error computations

Comparisons of estimates discussed in

this report were tested to determine if

the differences were statistically significant. Differences described as higher,

lower, or different passed a hypothesis

test at the .05-level of statistical

significance (95%-level of confidence).

That is, the tested difference was

greater than about twice the standard

error of that difference. Comparisons of

estimates statistically significant at the

0.10 level (90%-confidence level), have

differences described as somewhat,

marginal, or slight.

Caution is required when making

comparisons of estimates not explicitly

discussed in this report. What may

appear to be a large difference in

estimates may not test as statistically

significant at the 95%- or even the 90%

confidence level. Significance testing

calculations were conducted at BJS

 Weapon Use and Violent Crime 11

Victim self-defense

Between 1993 and 2001, about 61% of all victims 

of violent crime reported taking a self-defensive 

measure during the incident.

Most used nonaggressive means, such as trying to

escape, getting help, or attempting to scare off or warn 

the offender. About 13% of victims of violent crime tried 

to attack or threaten the offender. About 2% of victims 

of violent crime used a weapon to defend themselves;

half of these, about 1% of violent crime victims,

brandished a firearm.

Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.

Method of resistance unknown 0.2

 Other 8.9

 Reacted to pain or emotion 0.3

 Got help or gave alarm 3.9

 Escaped/hid/got away 9.8

 Persuaded or appeased offender 5.5

 Scared or warned off offender 4.2

 Resisted or captured offender 15.0

Attacked/threatened offender with other weapon 1.4

Attacked/threatened offender with a gun 0.7

Attacked/threatened offender without a weapon 10.8

Used physical force toward offender 13.0

Took some action 60.5

Offered no resistance 39.3

All victims' responses to violent crime 100%

Annually on average, 1993 to 2001,

about 703,800 violent crimes against

persons age 12-17 occurred at school

or on school property. About 8% of

these crimes were committed with a

weapon; about 1% with a firearm. 

About a third of armed assaults in

schools resulted in injury to the victim.

Between 1994 and 1999, the most

recent year of available data, 172

homicides of both students and

nonstudents took place at school 

or on school property in the United

States.

Of these, 69% were committed with a

firearm. Eighteen percent were

committed with a knife or other sharp

object. Of the firearm homicides at

school, three-quarters were committed

with handguns.

Unintentional 2 1

Legal intervention 5 2

Homicide/suicide 11 5

Suicide 30 14

Homicide 172 78

 Total 220 100%

fatalities Number Percent

Violent deaths at

school, 1994-99

Type of student

and nonstudent 

Note: Detail may not add to totals because

of rounding.

a

Includes shotguns and other “long guns.”

b

Includes blunt objects.

Other 5 3

Strangulation 5 3

Beating 12 7 b

Sharp object 31 18

Unknown 12 7

Rifle 18 11 a

Handgun 89 52

Firearm 119 69

 Total 172 100%

of weapon Number Percent

School homicides,

Type 1994-99

Weapons, juveniles, 

and school violence 

a

"Other" includes ropes, chains,

poison, and unspecified objects

used as weapons.

b

Victim did not know whether the

offender possessed a weapon.

Annual average 703,810

 Do not know 4 b

Blunt object/other 4 a

Sharp object 3

Firearm 1

Any weapon 8

No weapon 88

All victims 100%

Type of weapon school crime

Violent

Source for school homicide data: Anderson,

M. and others. “School Associated Violent

Deaths in the United States, 1994-99,”

Journal of the American Medical

Association, Dec. 5, 2001, 286, 21, 

pp. 2695-2702.

*10 or fewer cases.

a "Other" includes ropes, chains, poison, and

unspecified objects used as weapons.

 Blunt object/other 100 61 39 a

 Sharp object 100 68 32

 Firearm 100 92 8*

Any weapon 100 67 33

No weapon 100 77 23

 Total 100% 77% 23%

of weapon All injured Injured

Type Not
using statistical programs developed

specifically for the NCVS by the U.S.

Census Bureau. These programs

consider the complex NCVS sample

design when calculating generalized

variance estimates.

Estimates based on 10 or fewer

sample cases have high relative

standard errors so that care should be

taken when comparing such estimates

to other estimates. It is inadvisable to

compare estimates when both are

based on 10 or fewer sample cases.

Asterisks mark estimates based on 10

or fewer sample cases in this report.

Comparisons of rates made in this

report are based on the unrounded

estimates.

Testing trends in weapons violence

Unless stated otherwise when a statement is made describing differences in

estimates between years, it was tested

for significance using a computer

program designed specifically for the

NCVS. These tests determine whether

an estimate in one year differs from

that of another, regardless of intervening estimate variation.

Definitions of crimes:

Aggravated assault - Attack or attempted

attack with a weapon, regardless of

whether or not an injury occurred and

attack without a weapon when serious

injury results.

Rape - Forced sexual intercourse including

both psychological coercion as well as

physical force. Forced sexual intercourse

means, vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by

the offender(s). This category also includes

incidents where the penetration is from a

foreign object. Includes rapes of male and

female victims and both heterosexual and

homosexual rape. Attempted rape

includes verbal threats of rape.

Robbery - Completed or attempted theft,

directly from a person, of property or cash

by force or threat of force, with or without a

weapon, and with or without injury.

Sexual assault - A wide range of victimizations, separate from rape or attempted

rape. These crimes include attacks or

attempted attacks generally involving

unwanted sexual contact between victim

and offender. Sexual assaults may or may

not involve force and include such things

as grabbing or fondling. Sexual assault

also includes verbal threats.

Simple assault - Attack without a weapon

resulting either in no injury, minor injury (for

example, bruises, black eyes, cuts,

scratches, or swelling) or in undetermined

injury requiring less than 2 days of hospitalization. Also includes attempted assault

without a weapon.

12 Weapon Use and Violent Crime

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is

the statistical agency of the U.S.

Department of Justice. Lawrence A.

Greenfeld is director.

Craig A. Perkins, BJS Statistician,

wrote this Special Report under the

supervision of Michael R. Rand. Tim

Hart and Cathy Maston verified the

report. Tom Hester and Tina Dorsey

produced and edited it.

September 2003, NCJ 194820

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