Violent Crimes
African-Americans are more likely than individuals of other races to be victims of violent crimes. According to 2002 statistics released by the U.S. Department of Justice, for every 1,000 persons in each racial group there were twenty-eight violent crimes committed against African-Americans, twenty-three committed against whites, and fifteen against persons of other races. During 2002 Hispanics were victimized at a rate of twenty-four per 1,000, down 56 percent from fifty-five per 1,000 in 1993. The rate of violent crimes in each group had declined significantly between 1993 and 2000. (See Table 8.1.)
HOMICIDE.
African-Americans are also more likely than other groups to be victims of homicides. Historically, African-American males between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four have had the highest homicide victimization rate. That proportion rose from 89.8 homicide victims per 100,000 population in 1976 to 100.2 homicide victims per 100,000 population in 2000, but the number has actually dropped steadily since peaking at 183.4 in 1993. The homicide victimization rate among white men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four has also risen, from 11.3 homicides per 100,000 population in 1976 to 12.1 homicides per 100,000 in 2000. Again, there was a spike in the early 1990s, with the victimization rate topping out at 18.2 in 1991. Among African-American and white women, the homicide victimization rate decreased in all age categories between 1976 and 2000. (See Table 8.2.)
Circumstances surrounding homicides tend to vary from racial group to racial group. Of homicide victims between 1976 and 2000 who were killed by family members, 59.8 percent were white and 37.8 percent were African-American. In drug-related disputes that resulted in homicide in those same years, 62.3 percent of the victims were African-American, while only 36.8 percent of the victims were white. In gang-related homicides between 1976 and 2000, the victims were most often white (58.2 percent), while African-Americans accounted for 38.4 percent of the victims. (See Table 8.3.)
According to the Department of Justice, between 1976 and 2000 most murders of whites were perpetrated by whites (86 percent), while most murders of African-Americans were carried out by African-Americans (94 percent).
Property Crimes
In 2001 African-Americans were more likely than whites to be victims of property crime. That year, 42.8 African-Americans per 1,000 persons were burgled, compared to 26.6 per 1,000 white persons. Approximately 16.1 African-Americans per 1,000 had a vehicle stolen, compared to 8.2 per 1,000 whites. Yet the trend reversed for other types of theft, as 120.8 African-Americans per 1,000 experienced thefts other than burglary and motor vehicle in 2000, compared to 130.3 whites per 1,000. (See Table 8.4.)
Hispanics were more likely to be victims of property crime than non-Hispanics. In 2001, 224.1 Hispanics per 1,000 persons reported a burglary or theft, compared to 161.3 non-Hispanics per 1,000 persons. Hispanics (19.8 per 1,000 persons) were more than two times as likely as non-Hispanics (8.2 per 1,000 persons) to experience motor vehicle thefts. (See Table 8.4.)
TABLE 8.1
Violent victimization rates of selected demographic categories, 1993–2000
| Number of violent crimes per 1,000 persons age 12 or older | ||||||||||
| Demographic categories | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Change in the rate per 1,000, 1993-2000 | |
| Gender | ||||||||||
| Male | 59.8 | 61.1 | 55.7 | 49.9 | 45.8 | 43.1 | 37.0 | 32.9 | −4.61 | |
| Female | 40.7 | 43.0 | 38.1 | 34.6 | 33.0 | 30.4 | 28.8 | 23.2 | −2.81 | |
| Race | ||||||||||
| White | 47.9 | 50.5 | 44.7 | 40.9 | 38.3 | 36.3 | 31.9 | 27.1 | −3.71 | |
| Black | 67.4 | 61.3 | 61.1 | 52.3 | 49.0 | 41.7 | 41.6 | 35.3 | −4.51 | |
| Other | 39.8 | 49.9 | 41.9 | 33.2 | 28.0 | 27.6 | 24.5 | 20.7 | −3.9 | |
| Hispanic origin | ||||||||||
| Hispanic | 55.2 | 61.6 | 57.3 | 44.0 | 43.1 | 32.8 | 33.8 | 28.4 | −5.71 | |
| Non-Hispanic | 49.5 | 50.7 | 45.2 | 41.6 | 38.3 | 36.8 | 32.4 | 27.7 | −3.41 | |
| Annual household | ||||||||||
| income | ||||||||||
| Less than $7,500 | 84.7 | 86.0 | 77.8 | 65.3 | 71.0 | 63.8 | 57.5 | 60.3 | −4.61 | |
| $7,500-$14,999 | 56.4 | 60.7 | 49.8 | 52.1 | 51.2 | 49.3 | 44.5 | 37.8 | −2.71 | |
| $15,000-$24,999 | 49.0 | 50.7 | 48.9 | 44.1 | 40.1 | 39.4 | 35.3 | 31.8 | −3.01 | |
| $25,000-$34,999 | 51.0 | 47.3 | 47.1 | 43.0 | 40.2 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 29.8 | −2.51 | |
| $35,000-$49,999 | 45.6 | 47.0 | 45.8 | 43.0 | 38.7 | 31.7 | 30.3 | 28.5 | −4.01 | |
| $50,000-$74,999 | 44.0 | 48.0 | 44.6 | 37.5 | 33.9 | 32.0 | 33.3 | 23.7 | −3.21 | |
| $75,000 or more | 41.3 | 39.5 | 37.3 | 30.5 | 30.7 | 33.1 | 22.9 | 22.3 | −1.62 | |
| Note: These rates are based on the collection year. | ||||||||||
| 11993-2000 difference is significant at the 95%-confidence level. | ||||||||||
| 21993-2000 difference is significant at the 90%-confidence level. | ||||||||||
| SOURCE: Callie Marie Rennison, "Appendix Table 1. Violent Victimization Rates of Selected Demographics Categories, 1993–2000," in Criminal Victimization 2000: Changes 1999–2000 with Trends 1993–2000, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC, 2001 | ||||||||||
TABLE 8.2
Homicide victimization rates per 100,000 population by age, race, and gender, 1976–2000
| White male | Black male | White female | Black female | |||||||||
| 14–17 | 18–24 | 25+ | 14–17 | 18–24 | 25+ | 14–17 | 18–24 | 25+ | 14–17 | 18–24 | 25+ | |
| 1976 | 3.7 | 11.3 | 9.8 | 24.2 | 89.8 | 97.2 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 6.3 | 25.1 | 19.3 |
| 1977 | 4.1 | 12.5 | 9.9 | 22.4 | 86.9 | 94.1 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 8.7 | 24.5 | 17.2 |
| 1978 | 4.7 | 13.3 | 10.4 | 21.9 | 86.4 | 90.3 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 7.6 | 23.7 | 16.5 |
| 1979 | 4.9 | 16.0 | 11.0 | 23.2 | 90.9 | 95.7 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 3.2 | 7.8 | 24.0 | 18.2 |
| 1980 | 5.1 | 16.2 | 11.4 | 26.3 | 96.7 | 94.8 | 2.6 | 5.3 | 3.3 | 6.8 | 23.5 | 17.1 |
| 1981 | 4.3 | 14.9 | 11.3 | 23.0 | 89.7 | 93.2 | 2.4 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 6.0 | 20.4 | 16.0 |
| 1982 | 4.0 | 13.9 | 10.4 | 22.3 | 82.6 | 79.5 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 7.5 | 17.7 | 14.4 |
| 1983 | 3.8 | 12.7 | 9.4 | 21.3 | 75.0 | 70.6 | 2.0 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 19.4 | 13.0 |
| 1984 | 3.5 | 11.9 | 9.1 | 18.4 | 67.9 | 64.5 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 6.4 | 18.2 | 12.4 |
| 1985 | 3.9 | 12.0 | 8.9 | 23.6 | 73.1 | 62.2 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 7.3 | 16.5 | 13.2 |
| 1986 | 4.1 | 13.3 | 9.0 | 26.7 | 87.5 | 69.9 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 19.7 | 14.0 |
| 1987 | 3.7 | 12.3 | 8.4 | 36.0 | 95.9 | 63.7 | 2.2 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 7.1 | 19.5 | 14.3 |
| 1988 | 3.9 | 12.2 | 8.1 | 43.1 | 108.9 | 68.9 | 2.2 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 20.7 | 14.7 |
| 1989 | 5.2 | 13.4 | 8.2 | 54.0 | 127.6 | 70.1 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 8.6 | 19.8 | 14.6 |
| 1990 | 7.5 | 16.8 | 8.8 | 59.1 | 151.5 | 74.6 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 10.3 | 20.6 | 14.3 |
| 1991 | 8.5 | 18.2 | 8.8 | 71.9 | 173.7 | 72.6 | 2.5 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 9.4 | 23.4 | 15.0 |
| 1992 | 9.0 | 17.4 | 8.3 | 67.3 | 171.7 | 67.6 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 12.8 | 20.8 | 14.4 |
| 1993 | 9.1 | 17.1 | 8.1 | 76.4 | 183.4 | 68.2 | 2.7 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 12.7 | 24.1 | 14.5 |
| 1994 | 8.7 | 17.8 | 7.7 | 71.6 | 176.2 | 64.3 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 10.0 | 20.7 | 13.7 |
| 1995 | 8.7 | 17.3 | 6.9 | 63.2 | 148.8 | 56.4 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 11.9 | 17.1 | 12.3 |
| 1996 | 7.9 | 15.4 | 6.5 | 52.2 | 138.2 | 50.0 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 8.9 | 15.4 | 11.3 |
| 1997 | 5.7 | 14.5 | 5.9 | 42.1 | 136.6 | 45.5 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 7.2 | 15.4 | 9.9 |
| 1998 | 5.7 | 14.5 | 5.3 | 32.8 | 117.4 | 40.6 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 5.9 | 14.3 | 9.3 |
| 1999 | 5.1 | 12.5 | 5.0 | 31.0 | 102.4 | 36.5 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 12.9 | 7.9 |
| 2000 | 4.1 | 12.1 | 4.7 | 25.7 | 100.2 | 37.9 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 13.4 | 7.5 |
| SOURCE: James Alan Fox and Marianne W. Zawitz, "Homicide Victimization Rates per 100,000 Population by Age, Race, and Gender," in Homicide Trends in the United States, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC, 2002 [Online] http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/varstab.htm [accessed January 26, 2004] | ||||||||||||
TABLE 8.3
Homicide type by race, 1976–2000
| Victims | Offenders | |||||
| White | Black | Other | White | Black | Other | |
| All homicides | 51.1% | 46.7% | 2.2% | 46.4% | 51.5% | 2.0% |
| Victim/offender relationship | ||||||
| Intimate | 55.7% | 42.1% | 2.2% | 53.5% | 44.4% | 2.1% |
| Family | 59.8% | 37.8% | 2.4% | 58.3% | 39.4% | 2.3% |
| Infanticide | 55.5% | 41.9% | 2.6% | 55.2% | 42.1% | 2.6% |
| Eldercide | 68.5% | 29.9% | 1.6% | 54.5% | 44.0% | 1.6% |
| Circumstances | ||||||
| Felony murder | 55.2% | 42.2% | 2.6% | 39.2% | 59.2% | 1.5% |
| Sex related | 67.0% | 30.4% | 2.7% | 56.8% | 41.3% | 1.9% |
| Drug related | 36.8% | 62.3% | .9% | 32.7% | 66.3% | 1.0% |
| Gang related | 58.2% | 38.4% | 3.5% | 56.7% | 39.1% | 4.2% |
| Argument | 47.9% | 49.9% | 2.1% | 45.7% | 52.1% | 2.2% |
| Workplace | 85.0% | 11.9% | 3.1% | 70.2% | 26.9% | 3.0% |
| Weapon | ||||||
| Gun homicide | 47.8% | 50.3% | 1.9% | 43.7% | 54.6% | 1.7% |
| Arson | 59.4% | 37.7% | 2.9% | 54.5% | 43.1% | 2.4% |
| Poison | 78.5% | 18.3% | 3.2% | 74.3% | 23.0% | 2.7% |
| Multiple victims or offenders | ||||||
| Multiple victims | 64.5% | 32.0% | 3.5% | 57.9% | 38.6% | 3.5% |
| Multiple offenders | 55.5% | 41.7% | 2.8% | 46.1% | 51.6% | 2.4% |
| SOURCE: James Alan Fox and Marianne W. Zawitz, "Homicide Type by Race, 1976–2000," in Homicide Trends in the United States, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC, 2002 [Online] http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm [accessed January 26, 2004] | ||||||
TABLE 8.4
Property crime victimization, by race, Hispanic origin, household income, region, locality, and home ownership of households victimized, 2001
| Victimizations per 1,000 households | |||||
| Characteristic of household or head of household | Number of households, 2001 | Total | Burglary | Motor vehicle theft | Theft |
| Race | |||||
| White | 91,732,200 | 164.1 | 26.6 | 8.2 | 130.3 |
| Black | 13,827,190 | 179.7 | 42.8 | 16.1 | 120.8 |
| Other | 4,009,070 | 163.6 | 27.6 | 8.4 | 127.6 |
| Hispanic origin | |||||
| Hispanic | 9,862,250 | 224.1 | 33.0 | 19.8 | 171.4 |
| Non-Hispanic | 98,954,490 | 161.3 | 28.3 | 8.2 | 124.9 |
| Household income | |||||
| Less than $7,500 | 5,777,210 | 184.6 | 58.0 | 8.4 | 118.3 |
| $7,500–$14,999 | 9,523,740 | 181.6 | 37.1 | 11.5 | 133.0 |
| $15,000–$24,999 | 12,782,170 | 179.2 | 36.2 | 10.3 | 132.8 |
| $25,000–$34,999 | 12,455,200 | 170.4 | 33.3 | 9.8 | 127.4 |
| $35,000–$49,999 | 14,447,520 | 176.4 | 23.0 | 10.6 | 142.8 |
| $50,000–$74,999 | 14,609,900 | 178.8 | 20.2 | 7.8 | 150.8 |
| $75,000 or more | 16,668,470 | 180.0 | 22.7 | 7.4 | 149.9 |
| Region | |||||
| Northeast | 20,776,040 | 123.9 | 18. | 6.9 | 98.3 |
| Midwest | 26,422,420 | 172.3 | 33.6 | 8.2 | 130.5 |
| South | 39,731,130 | 157.5 | 29.7 | 8.7 | 119.1 |
| West | 22,638,860 | 216.4 | 30.2 | 13.4 | 172.8 |
| Residence | |||||
| Urban | 31,767,270 | 212.8 | 37.3 | 15.1 | 160.4 |
| Suburban | 50,841,090 | 156.7 | 24.3 | 8.5 | 123.9 |
| Rural | 26,960,100 | 131.9 | 26.7 | 3.6 | 101.6 |
| Home ownership | |||||
| Owned | 73,957,330 | 146.3 | 23.8 | 7.3 | 115.2 |
| Rented | 35,611,120 | 209.6 | 38.8 | 13.1 | 157.8 |
| SOURCE: Callie Rennison, "Table 7. Property Crime Victimization, by Race, Hispanic Origin, Household Income, Region, Locality, and Home Ownership of Households Victimized, 2001," in Criminal Victimization 2001: Changes 2000–01 with Trends 1993–2001, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC, 2002 [Online] http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv01.pdf [accessed March 11, 2004] | |||||
FIGURE 8.1
Young males as a proportion of the population, homicide victims, and homicide offenders, 1976–2000
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