Thus, data are most reliable in showing trends over several years. Researchers at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which conducts the survey, caution that they have less confidence in data for any individual year or for demographic subgroups, because of the small sample size. Despite last year's increase, sex crimes have fallen by about one-third since 1993, the year NCVS was overhauled to better account for rapes and sexual assaults. However, most of the decrease came between 1993-1995. In those cases, the weapon was equally likely to be a gun or knife.
Rape is the most underreported violent crime.
Of every 1000 women 12 and over, 3.0 were sexually assaulted or raped last year. For men, the rate was 0.4 per 1000. Young women and poor women continued to be far more at risk of an attack than any other demographic group. Among teens 16-19, 6.9 per 1000 were sex crime victims, with rates remaining high for people 24 and under. For those age 35 and older, the rate of attack plummets to less than one person per 1,000.