Violent Crime in America: An Examination of Federal Statistics

• In Event: (NIJ Day) Understanding, Preventing, and Responding to Violence in the United States: Panel 1

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Justice administers the nation’s two measures of crime: the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The NCVS was developed to complement the UCR Program, which includes crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. The NCVS and UCR statistical programs employ different methodologies and collect information on different crime types, however, together provide a more comprehensive understanding of criminal victimization in the United States. This presentation includes information on the differences between the programs and the types of crime collected. The majority of the presentation focuses on an examination of violent crime over time, including statistics on firearm violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, and violence at schools.

Author

• Rachel E. Morgan, DOJ, Bureau of Justice Statistics