H D T E C N I R A C P L X E E

R Assault S E A M I C T H C A L L V I

In broad terms, assault is an act that intentionally causes another person to fear harmful or violent contact. An assault may or may not result in physical injury. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on both aggravated and simple assault. According to the NCVS, aggravated assault is defined as an attack with a weapon, an attack that causes serious bodily harm, or a threatened assault with a weapon. Simple assault is defined as an unlawful attack or threat of attack that does not cause serious bodily harm.A Assault victimization varies largely by sex and geography. Some professions,60 including law enforcement and emergency room 50 nurses, are at an increased risk.B 40 30 20 CRIME TRENDS 10 Consistent with crimes trends as a whole, assault victimization rates0 have decreased over the past two decades. In 1995, 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 an estimated 48 of every 1,000 people were victims of simple assault, while nearly 14 of every 1,000 people were victims of aggravated assault. In 2015, an estimated 12 of every 1,000 people were victims of simple assault, while nearly 3 of every 1,000 people were victims of aggravated assault.C The percentage of aggravatedAggravated and simpleAssault assaults reportedSimple Assault to the police annually has remained relatively constant over the past 20 years. In 2015, nearly 62% of aggravated assault victims and 42% of simple assault victims said that they reported their victimization to the police.C

Aggravated and Simple AssaultC Aggravated and Simple Assault Reported to PoliceC rate per 1,000 people 60 100 60 90 100% 50 Aggravated assault 80 70 62 48.3 Simple assault 40 60 52 30 50 42 40 20 13.5 11.8 30 20 37 Aggravated assault Simple assault 10 10 reported to police reported to police 0 3.0 0 199519951997 19971999 19992001 20012003 20032005 20052007 20072009 20092011 20112013 20132015 2015 199519951997 19971999 19992001 20012003 20032005 20052007 20072009 20092011 20112013 20132015 2015

Aggravated Assault Simple Assault Aggravated Assault Reported to Police Simple Assault Reported to Police The NCVS estimates that the vast majority of all victims do not receive services from victim service agencies. In 2015, just 14% of aggravated assault victims and 6% of simple assault victims reported that they received any services from victim service agencies. A higher percentage of women (21%) who reported they had been victims of aggravated assault also reported that they received services from a victim service agency, compared to 5% of men. Less than 10% of men and women who reported they had been victims of simple assault also reported that they received services.C 100 90 80 C 70 Victims Who Receive Services 60 percentage by sex DID YOU KNOW? 50 40 100% 30 Men 20 More than 60% of aggravated assault and simple 10 53 50 Women assault victims report no injury.C 0 1995 1997 199934 200131 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 60% of aggravated assault victims who report an injury also report that they received medical treatment at the scene of their victimization, their home, a medical office, Aggravated Assault Reported to Police Simple Assault Reported to Police or other location.C Aggravated Assault Simple Assault

2018 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Resource Guide: Crime and Victimization Fact Sheets CURRENT DATA ON ASSAULT

In 2015, 33% of aggravated assault victimizations were In 2015, most aggravated assaults were committed by committed with a knife, 23% with a firearm, and 11% someone the victim knew. Women who were assaulted knew without a weapon. One-third of aggravated assaults were their assailant more than 60% of the time, compared to either committed with another form of weapon or an roughly 50% of the time for men.C unidentified weapon.C

Weapons Used in Aggravated AssaultsC Victim Relationship to PerpetratorC percentage by sex

Knife (33%) 100% Firearmknife (23%) 66 69 Other weapon (26%) 53 50 firearm 47 50 Unidentified weapon (7%) other 34 31 No weapon (11%) Unidentified

no weapon Stranger knife Non-stranger firearm Men: Women: other Aggravated assault Aggravated assault Simple assault Unidentified Simple assault no weapon

An estimated 3 in 1,000 people were victims of aggravated In 2015, 43% of aggravated assault victims were under the assault in 2015. Of these, 56% of women reported that they age of 35. Victims age 12 to 17 accounted for about 12% of were either home or close to their home at the time of the aggravated assault victimizations, while victims age 18 to 24

assault. More than 40% of men (43%) reported that they and 25 to 34 each accounted for about 15%.C were in a parking lot, commercial place, or other public area at the time of assault.C Age of Aggravated Assault VictimsC Aggravated Assault by LocationC and victim sex 12 – 17 (12%) 18 – 24 (16%) 25 – 34 (15%) Commercial 43 place, parking 35 – 49 (29%) 27 lot, or public area 50+ (28%)

At or near 30 victim’s home 56

11 School 10

At or near friend’s, 8 neighbor’s, or relative’s SOURCES home 4 A Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Violent Crime,” https://www.bjs.gov/index. cfm?ty=tp&tid=31

Men 9 B Nicola Ramacciati et al., “Interventions to Reduce the Risk of Violence Other location Women toward Emergency Department Staff: Current Approaches” OAEM vol. 8 3 (2016): 17–27 60% C Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, Concate- nated File, 1992-2015, (U.S. Department of Justice)