Violent crime in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Violent crime in the United States refers to murder, rape and sexual assault, robbery, and assault. Violent crime in the United States has fallen over the last two decades. However, the number of reported violent crimes rose in 2015. Among the various types of violent crime reported in the United State, aggravated assault is the most common. In 2015, the crime rate (the number of reported instances per 100,000 inhabitants) was 237.8 for aggravated assault, making a considerable contribution to the overall violent crime rate of 383.2. However the rate of reported assault cases has also fallen in the United States over the last decades. Yet, violent crime rates may not always be precise. Crimes that remain unreported can often skew rates meaning it can generally be assumed that instances of crime are more prevalent than reported crime statistics suggest.

The exact relationship between crime rates and other social phenomena is unclear. For example, no consistent link between crime rates and economic growth has been found. That said, demographic changes and high levels of drug use in the local community are often associated with an increase in crime rates. In contrast, greater accessibility to abortion has been proposed as a reason behind decreasing violent crime rates.
Murder is defined as the intentional act to kill and often includes the intention to cause great bodily harm, as one would realize the possibility of causing fatality. Generally, each state has its own classification for murders, commonly under first- and second-degree murder. The District of Columbia has experienced some of highest rates of murder in the United States with 13.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. Guidelines for murder sentencing also differ by state. Many murder victims were between the ages of 20 to 34. Moreover, murder offenders were most often of a similar age. Of further concern, murder victims were often slain by someone they know, such as a family member, neighbor, or friend. The number of murders by victim’s relationship to offender in 2015 demonstrates this issue. The number of offenders who were acquaintances of the victim was double that of those who were a stranger to the victim.
Similarly, in many of the reported forcible rape cases, the victim often knows the offender. Victims of serious violent crime often experience socio-economic problems alongside emotional and physical symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The high number of offenders with relationships to their victims is worrisome given the prevalence of warnings about strangers and the activities of those outside of the common middle-class American household. Unfortunately, a degree of skepticism should be aimed at almost everyone, though blame on outside groups such as immigrants continues to be more politically profitable.
Crimes committed involving guns have also decreased in the United States. However, the number of robberies involving a firearm still accounts for a large proportion of the total figure. Many U.S. citizens are unaware of the drop in violent crimes being associated with a decrease in the accessibility of firearms. Gun ownership in the United States remains the highest in the developed world.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.