Injuries and Crime

1
Injuries and Crime

• KINS 321
• Safety Education

2
Highlights

• On average each year (92-98), 2.6 million of the
  10.2 million victims of violent crime in the U.S.
  were injured in the victimization.
• Nearly 1 in 5 injured violent crime victims, or
  an average of just under 480,000 persons per
  year, were treated in hospitals.

3
Highlights

• From 1992 through 1998, for every homicide victim
  age 12 or older, approximately 121 people were
  injured in violent crime, including 16 people
  with severe injuries.
• Violence included simple assault, aggravated
  assault, robbery, rape, and sexual assault.

4
Highlights

• From 1992-1998, there were 148,625 homicides
  among persons age 12 or older (21,232 per year).
  and 344,000 severe injuries.
• Rates of injury were higher among the young,
  single, poor, less educated, urban dwellers,
  African-Americans, Hispanics, and American
  Indians.

5
Highlights

• For every 1,000 violent crimes, there are 2
  homicides.
• For every homicide, 121 people were injured by
  violence.
• Rates of homicide, severe injury, and overall
  violent victimization have declined since 1993
  (35 drop)

6
Highlights

• Three out of four violent crime victims reported
  they were not injured during the crime.
• Approximately 3 of all violent crime victims
  suffered a severe injury (gunshot, knife wound,
  broken bones, loss of teeth, internal injuries,
  loss of consciousness).
• 1 were victims of rape or sexual assault with
  unspecified injuries.

7
Highlights

• Of those injured, 82 reported injuries including
  bruises, black eyes, cuts, scratches, swelling,
  chipped teeth, or other injuries requiring less
  than 2 days of hospitalization.

8
Highlight Time of Crime

• Two-thirds of serious victimizations occurred at
  night (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.), but 50 occurred during
  the day.
• A higher percentage took place while the victim
  was near or inside their house.
• Those that took place away from the victims home
  were less likely to result in injury.

9
Highlights Guns and Weapons

• Firearms were involved in 14 of the violent
  victimizations that resulted in severe nonfatal
  injuries.
• Most homicide victims (72) died as a result of
  injuries due to a firearm.
• Most nonviolent crimes (66) did not involve a
  weapon.

10
Highlight Activity During Crime

• Victims engaged in activities at home (33) were
  more likely to be injured than those involved in
  work (12), shopping (22), going to or away from
  home (23), or while in school (23).

11
Highlight Gender

• While the violent victimization rate was higher
  for males than females (56 v. 40 per 1,000
  persons), injury rates for males and females (12
  v. 11) did not differ significantly because male
  victims of crimes were less likely to be injured
  than female victims (22 v. 29).

12
Highlight Ethnicity

• The rates for victimization were lowest for
  Asian/Pacific Islanders, higher among Caucasians
  and Hispanics, higher still among African
  Americans, and highest among Native Americans.

13
Highlight Age

• Persons between 12 and 24 years of age were 9
  times more likely than individuals over 50 years
  to a victim of violent crime, approximately 14
  times more likely to be injured as a result of
  the crimes, and about 9 times more likely to be
  severely injured.

14
Highlight Income

• Compared to persons with annual incomes of
  50,000 or more, persons with incomes of less
  than 20,000 were 1.5 times more likely to be a
  victim of violent crime, 2.5 times more likely to
  be injured during the crime, and 3.5 times more
  likely to sustain serious injuries.

15
Highlight Offenders

• The majority of those reporting crimes reported
  the offender as being male, Caucasian, and a
  stranger or acquaintance.
• An intimate relationship, offenders consumption
  of alcohol or drugs increased the likelihood of
  an injury to the victim.

16
Highlight Offenders

• 1 in 3 victims reported the offender as being
  younger than 21.
• 1 in 5 victims reported the offender as being an
  intimate partner.
• 1 in 3 victims reported the offender as having
  committed a crime against them previously.

17
Highlight Offenders

• Those victimized by a female offender were just
  as likely to be injured as were those victimized
  by a male offender. However, victims of violence
  by males were more likely to be severely injured.
• Those victimized by a former intimate partner
  were more likely to be injured than were those
  attacked by friends, strangers or acquaintances.

18
Highlight Offenders

• 1 in 3 victims reported the offender as being
  younger than 21.
• 1 in 5 victims reported the offender as being an
  intimate partner.
• 1 in 3 victims reported the offender as having
  committed a crime against them previously.

19
Definition Aggravated Assault
Back

• Attack or attempted attack with a weapon,
  regardless of whether or not an injury occurred,
  or attack without a weapon when severe injury
  results.

20
Definition Rape
Back

• Forced sexual intercourse, including
  psychological coercion or physical force.
  Includes vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by
  the offender(s) or by an object. Includes
  attempted rapes, male and female victims,
  heterosexual and homosexual rape. Includes verbal
  threats of rape.

21
Definition Robbery
Back

• 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.

22
Definition Sexual Assault
Back

• A wide range of victimizations, separate from
  rape or attempted rape. These crimes include
  attacks generally involving unwanted sexual
  contact between victim and offender. Attacks may
  not involve force and include such things as
  fondling or grabbing, as well as verbal threats.

23
Definition Simple Assault
Back

• Attack without a weapon resulting in no injury,
  minor injury (black eye, cuts, scratches) or in
  undetermined injury requiring less than 2 days of
  hospitalization. Includes verbal threats and
  attempted assault without a weapon.