U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 April 2002, NCJ 191208 --------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/hvvc00.htm --------------------------------------------------------- Callie Marie Rennison, Ph.D. BJS Statistician --------------------------------------------------------- Highlights The rate of violent crime against Hispanics fell 56% from 1993 to 2000. The rate for whites declined 50%, and for blacks, 51%. * Persons of Hispanic origin in 2000 experienced 11% of all violent crime against persons age 12 or older in the United States. * During 2000 Hispanic persons were victims of about 690,470 rapes, sexual assaults, robberies, and aggravated and simple assaults. * Violence against Hispanics most often took the form of simple assault (59%), followed by robbery (20%), aggravated assault (19%) and rape/sexual assault (2%) in 2000. * 1993-2000, the rate of violent crime against Hispanics fell, regardless of gender, age, income, or where they lived. Among Hispanics the largest percent decreases in rates occurred for women, persons age 35-49, divorced or separated persons, those in households with annual incomes between $15,000 and $24,999, and those in rural areas. * 9% of Hispanic victims stated that the offender was an intimate, while 34% described the offender as a friend or acquaintance. * Hispanics were as likely as whites, blacks, or persons of other races to report to the police that they had been a victim of a violent crime. ------------------------------------------------------ Estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) indicate that Hispanic persons age 12 or older experienced about 690,470 violent crimes (rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated or simple assault) in 2000. Among Hispanics over the period 1993-2000, those most vulnerable to violent crimes were males (54 victimizations per 1,000 annually), juveniles age 12-17 (90 per 1,000), those with household incomes under $7,500 (64 per 1,000), and those who had never married (74 per 1,000). Violence against Hispanics, as with other victims, most often took the form of simple assault (59%). About equal percentages of Hispanics were robbed (20%) or were victims of aggravated assault (19%). Two percent of Hispanic victims of violence sustained a rape or sexual assault in 2000. From 1993 to 2000 the rate of violent victimization against Hispanics fell from 63 victimizations per 1,000 to 28. Violent crime rates declined for Hispanics across most demographic categories examined -- falling most among females, those age 35 to 49, divorced or separated persons, those in households with incomes between $15,000 and $24,999, and those in rural areas. Data and definitions Estimates of violent crime are drawn from National Criminal Victimization Survey (NCVS) data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Respondents to the NCVS who identified themselves as Mexican-American, Chicano, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American (Spanish-speaking countries) or other Spanish origin are defined as Hispanics in this report. The category "Hispanic" includes persons of any race. Comparison groups include non-Hispanic persons who were white, black, American Indian, or Asian. Thus, in this report the terms "white," "black," "American Indian," and "Asian" refer only to non-Hispanic persons. Violent acts examined include threatened, attempted and completed rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Only limited homicide data are available. -------------------------------------- The National Crime Victimization Survey The NCVS is the Nation's primary source of information on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization. One of the largest continuous household surveys conducted by the Federal Government, the NCVS collects information about crimes both reported and not reported to police. The survey provides the largest national forum for victims to describe their experiences of victimization, the impact of crime, and the characteristics of violent offenders. For the most current overall estimates of criminal victimization in the United States, see Criminal Victimization 2000: Changes 1999-2000, with Trends 1993-2000 (NCJ 187007). Findings from the NCVS are also on the BJS website -------------------------------------- Violence against Hispanics, 2000 During 2000 persons of Hispanic origin experienced 11% of all violent crime against persons age 12 or older in the United States, and they were about 10% of the general population. In total during 2000, Hispanic persons were victims of about 690,470 rapes, sexual assaults, robberies, and aggravated and simple assaults. As a rate, there were 28 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons of Hispanic ethnicity. As with other victims, most violence against Hispanic persons was simple assault (59%), an offense committed without a weapon and resulting in, at most, minor injury. Twenty percent of Hispanic victims were robbed, and 19% were victims of an aggravated assault, an offense committed with a weapon or resulting in serious injury or both. Rapes and sexual assaults accounted for 2% of all violence against persons of Hispanic origin. During 2000 Hispanics were victims of rape and sexual assault at rates somewhat lower than those for blacks. The Hispanic rates of rape and sexual assault were similar to those of Asians, whites, and American Indians. Hispanics and blacks were robbed at similar rates, and those rates were the highest of the groups examined. In 2000 the robbery rate was 6 victimizations per 1,000 Hispanics. Hispanics were victims of aggravated assault at a rate similar to those for whites and blacks. American Indians experienced aggravated assault at the highest rate, and Asians experienced aggravated assault at the lowest rate during 2000. --------------------------------------- Hispanic homicide victims The Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) of the FBI collects information about homicide from local and State law enforcement agencies. Many jurisdictions do not obtain information on the Hispanic origin of the victim, so that national UCR data on Hispanic homicide victims are not available. The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collects information on homicides of Hispanics from death certificates filed in State vital statistics offices. Between 1993 and 1999 (the year of most recent data) the NVSS recorded an annual average of 409 Hispanics being killed -- a rate of 9.1 homicides per 100,000 Hispanics. The national homicide rate was 6.2 per 100,000. ----------------------------------------- Whites, blacks, and Hispanics were victims of simple assault at similar rates during 2000. Simple assaults were experienced by American Indians at the highest rate, and by Asians at the lowest during 2000. Victim characteristics, 1993-2000 Though all persons are vulnerable to violent crime, data demonstrate that some groups are victimized at different rates. For example, for the various demographic characteristics, Hispanics were generally victims of crime at rates higher than those of Asians but lower than those of American Indians.** footnote Because of the consistent patterns of relative rates of victimization compared to Hispanics, American Indians and Asians are not discussed in this section of the report, although their rates are presented in the tables. For more information, see Violent Victimization and Race, 1993-98, NCJ 176354, and American Indians and Crime, NCJ 173386.** Rates also varied among Hispanics in different demographic categories. Gender As within the racial groups, Hispanic males experienced violent crime at a rate higher than that for Hispanic females. Among males, Hispanics were victims of violent crime at a rate greater than that for whites, but similar to that for blacks. Among females, Hispanics were violently victimized at a rate similar to that for whites but at a rate lower than that for blacks. Age For Hispanics, 1993-2000, the young were more likely than older persons to be victims of violent crime: 90 per 1,000 Hispanics age 12 to 17, 70 per 1,000 Hispanics age 18 to 24, 7 per 1,000 Hispanics age 65 or older were victims of violent crime each year. During the period, among persons age 18 to 49, Hispanics were victims of violence at rates lower than those for whites and blacks. Among persons age 12-17 and 50 or older, Hispanics were victimized at rates similar to those for blacks. Marital status From 1993 through 2000 never married, married, widowed, and divorced/separated Hispanics experienced violence at different rates. For Hispanics, as for members of the racial groups examined, persons who had never married or those who were divorced or separated were the most vulnerable to violent crime. Among persons who had never married and those who were divorced or separated, Hispanics were victimized at a rate lower than that for whites and at a rate similar to that for blacks. Among married persons, Hispanics were victimized at a rate similar to that for blacks and at a rate higher than that for whites. No differences in rates of violence among widowed persons emerged. Annual household income For Hispanics, persons in households with an annual income of less than $7,500 were more likely to be victimized than persons in households at all higher levels of income except one. Only a marginal difference between rates of violent victimization separated persons in households with an annual income of less than $7,500 from those with an average annual income $7,500 to $14,999. While at some levels of income the rates of violent victimization of Hispanics were different from those of whites and blacks, a consistent pattern of difference was not present. Location of residence Hispanics in urban, suburban, and rural areas were violently victimized at statistically similar rates between 1993 and 2000. Hispanics were victimized in urban areas at a rate lower than those for blacks and whites. In suburban settings, Hispanics were victims of violent crimes at a rate higher than that for whites but lower than that for blacks. In rural areas Hispanics sustained violent victimizations at a rate higher than those for whites and blacks. Characteristics of the crime event, 1993-2000 Victim-offender relationship The percentages of Hispanic victims of violence who were victimized by an intimate partner (9%) or some other relative (4%) were similar to those of the non-Hispanic groups examined, 1993-2000. A somewhat smaller percentage of violent victimization of Hispanics than of whites was committed by friends or acquaintances. Apparent differences in the percentages of violent crimes by friends or acquaintances -- between Hispanics and blacks, American Indians, or Asians -- were not statistically significant. Fifty-two percent of Hispanic victims of violence identified the offender as a stranger. A higher percentage of Asian victims (64%) and a lower percentage of white victims (46%) did the same. Presence of weapons Between 1993 and 2000, 34% of Hispanic victims of violence reported that the offender had a weapon during their victimi- zation. The percentage of Hispanics who faced an armed offender was greater than the percentage of whites (23%), but similar to the percentages among the other racial groups. A firearm was present in 14% of the violent victimizations of Hispanics. This percentage exceeded 7% of white victims but did not differ statistically from the percentages of black, American Indian, and Asian victims facing an offender armed with a firearm. Injuries and treatment Between 1993 and 2000, 73% of Hispanic victims of violence were not injured. Similar percentages of victims who were white, black, or Asian were not injured (75%, 71%, and 77%, respectively). A somewhat lower percentage of American Indian victims (64%) escaped injury. Among the Hispanics injured during a violent crime, 15% did not seek medical treatment for their injuries. This response was similar to that of whites (15%), blacks (13%), American Indians (16%), and Asians (12%). Alcohol and/or drug use of offender Twenty-eight percent of Hispanic victims of violent crime perceived the offender to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, 1993-2000. A slightly higher percentage of whites (32%) and a higher percentage of American Indians (44%) reported such drug or alcohol use. Similar percentages of Hispanic, black, and Asian victims stated that the offender acted under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A large percentage of victims in each racial/ ethnic category state that they did not know if the offender was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident. Reporting to police The percentages of violent victimizations that were reported to the police between 1993 and 2000 were similar for Hispanics and members of non-Hispanic racial groups. Forty-four percent of all violence against Hispanic individuals was reported to the police; this compares to 39% for Asian victims, 42% for whites, 45% for American Indians, and 48% for blacks. Among Hispanics, violence against those who were male, under age 20, or never married was reported at percentages lower than violence against other Hispanic subgroups. Violence sustained by Hispanics at different income levels was reported to the police at similar percentages. Reasons for not reporting to police Hispanic men and women emphasized different reasons for not reporting to police the violence they had experienced. A higher percentage of males than females gave "minor crime" and "lack of proof" as reasons for not reporting to the police. A somewhat higher percentage of males cited "not important to the police." A higher percentage of female than male victims of violence did not report to the police because the victim "feared reprisal" or was "protecting the offender." Differing racial or ethnic backgrounds were not associated with the most commonly cited reasons for not reporting violence to the police. Victims of all racial or ethnic groups were most likely to say that the violence was not reported because it was a "private or personal matter," or because it was a "minor crime." Trends in nonfatal violence, 1993-2000 The overall rate of violence against Hispanics decreased 56% between 1993 and 2000 -- from 63 to 28 victimizations per 1,000 Hispanics age 12 or older. The estimated number of violent crimes against Hispanics decreased from the 1993 level of about 1.1 million to 690,470 in 2000. For almost every demographic characteristic considered, the rate of violence against Hispanics declined between 1993 and 2000. Some of the largest percentage decreases in rates occurred for females (a 63% decline), those age 35-49 (66% decrease), divorced or separated persons (64% decline), those in households with annual incomes between $15,000 and $24,999 (71% decrease), and those in rural areas (71% decline). Methodology This report presents data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The NCVS gathers data about crimes using an ongoing, nationally representative sample of households in the United States. NCVS data include information about crime victims (age, gender, race, ethnicity, income, and educational level), criminal offenders (gender, race, approximate age, and victim-offender relations), and the nature of the crime (time and place of occurrence, use of weapons, nature of injury, and economic consequences). These data include incidents both reported and not reported to police. Between 1993 and 2000 about 731,460 individuals of all races and ethnic groups age 12 or older were interviewed. For the NCVS data presented, response rates varied between 89% and 92% of eligible individuals. Respondents to the NCVS who identified themselves as Mexican-American, Chicano, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American (Spanish- speaking countries) or other Spanish origin are defined as Hispanics in this report. The category "Hispanic" includes persons of any race. Comparison groups include non-Hispanic persons who were white, black, American Indian, or Asian. Thus, in this report the terms "white," "black," "American Indian," and "Asian" refer only to non-Hispanic persons. Violent acts examined include threatened, attempted and completed rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. 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). The tested difference was greater than about twice the standard error of that difference. For comparisons of estimates which were statistically significant at the 0.10 level (90%-confidence level), differences are 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 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. Because calculated standard errors for such estimates may not be accurate, care should be taken when comparing estimates based on 10 or fewer cases to other estimates. It is not advisable to make comparisons between estimates when both are based on 10 or fewer sample cases. Testing trends in violent victimization 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. --------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is acting director. BJS Special Reports address a specific topic in depth from one or more datasets that cover many topics. Callie Marie Rennison, BJS Statistician, wrote this report under the supervision of Michael R. Rand. Cathy T. Maston provided the statistical review. Tom Hester produced and edited the report. Jayne Robinson prepared the report for printing. April 2002, NCJ 191208 ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- To keep current on criminal justice statistics, at no cost... Subscribe to e-mail notification of the latest statistical releases from BJS, the FBI, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention through JUSTSTATS. To learn how to subscribe, see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/juststats.htm -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- This report and others from the Bureau of Justice Statistics are available through the Internet -- http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs The data from the National Criminal Victimization Survey are available from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data, maintained by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, 1-800-999-0960. The archive may also be accessed through the BJS Internet site. ------------------------------------- End of file 01/22/02 ih