Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
📖

Violent crime

society Maturity 11-13 death dying Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

A violent crime occurs when an offender uses or threatens harmful force against a victim.

Noun robbery 4270
Noun robbery 4270

These crimes are often categorized by the perpetrator's intent or method. Some acts aim to cause harm directly, such as murder, assault, or assassination. Other crimes use violence as a tool for coercion, such as robbery, extortion, or terrorism. Additionally, some violent crimes arise from unsafe working conditions, known as safety crimes. While many violent crimes involve weapons, they may also occur without them.

Criminals who commit these acts often share specific psychological or behavioral traits. Many display a low anger threshold or a lack of impulse control. They may also show strong territorial instincts or antisocial personality traits. Some may struggle with mental health issues or aggressive tendencies. Criminal organizations, such as drug cartels or gangs, often employ these individuals. These people frequently serve as enforcers or hitmen to maintain control within the group.

Comparing violent crime statistics between different countries is a complex task. This difficulty exists because every jurisdiction classifies and records crimes differently. To make a valid comparison, researchers must ensure they are looking at equivalent offenses. Often, this is impossible because different systems aggregate data in unique ways. For example, European nations like Austria and Germany classify minor violence, such as slapping, as assault. In contrast, France does not categorize such minor acts as assault.

In Australia, crime is analyzed through the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS). This method is separate from formal police reporting. It allows citizens to share experiences that they might not have reported to the police. The ICVS focuses on two major categories: personal crime and household crime. Personal crimes include physical assault, robbery, and sexual assault. Household crimes, such as burglary, often have higher rates. Australia and New Zealand also use the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC). This system organizes offenses into six divisions, such as homicide and robbery.

Canada utilizes two primary methods to measure crime incidence. The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey tracks violations like attempted murder and criminal harassment. Canada also conducts the General Social Survey (GSS) on Victimization every five years. The GSS specifically tracks three types of violent crime: sexual assault, robbery, and physical assault. In New Zealand, the approach to data changed significantly in 2015. The New Zealand Police moved from counting recorded offenses to counting the actual people victimized or offending. This change helps officials understand specific trends and patterns more clearly.

The United Kingdom also tracks violence through the British Crime Survey. Historically, crimes against property were considered as significant as violence against persons. However, by 2014, violence against the person was viewed as the most heinous category. Statistics showed a general downward trend in violence over several decades. For example, the 2010/11 report showed violence was down 47 percent from its 1995 peak. In that period, 31 people per 1,000 interviewed reported being a victim of violent crime.

In the United States, two major databases provide different perspectives on crime. The FBI maintains the Uniform Crime Report (UCR), which uses data from law enforcement. This includes murder, arson, and commercial crimes. The Bureau of Justice Statistics maintains the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS is a survey of households that includes estimates of unreported crimes. However, the NCVS excludes crimes against children under 12 and people in institutions. Because they use different methods, these two databases are complementary rather than identical.

UCR versus NCVS
UCR versus NCVS

Recent data from the United States provides a specific look at crime rates. In 2019, the FBI reported approximately 1,203,808 violent crimes occurred. While robbery and rape rates decreased that year, assault and murder saw slight increases.

Violent Crime Rate by U.S. state
Violent Crime Rate by U.S. state

Specifically, for every 100,000 people, there were 120 arrests for assault. There were 24 arrests for robbery, 7 for rape, and 3 for murder. The NCVS also showed a 15 percent drop in the violent crime rate in 2019. Per 1,000 individuals, 7.3 people reported being victims, down from 8.6 in 2018.

2021 Homicide rates in high-income countries - variable-width bar chart
2021 Homicide rates in high-income countries - variable-width bar chart
667 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:Noun robbery 4270.svg
Noun robbery 4270.svg
File:Violent Crime in the United States.png
Violent Crime in the United States.png
File:2021 Homicide rates in high-income countries - variable-width bar chart.svg
2021 Homicide rates in high-income...
File:UCR versus NCVS.PNG
UCR versus NCVS.PNG
File:Violent Crime Rate by U.S. state.svg
Violent Crime Rate by U.S. state.svg
More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.