Displaying Violent Crime Trends Using Estimates From the National Crime Victimization Survey

• NCJ Number: 167881
• Date Published: June 1998
• Author(s): M D Maltz; M W Zawitz
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Series: BJS Technical Reports
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

Statistical information on trends in violent crime is presented by means of graphical displays that include estimates of the degree of precision, based on data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) during 1973-96.

Abstract

Intended for an audience that is not trained in statistics, this report graphically presents violent crime trends from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Because the NCVS is based on the victimization experience of a sample of U.S. households, the rates and numbers from it are estimates which, by definition, are not exact. This report discusses the precision of these estimates to aid readers in interpreting the data over time. Included are graphics depicting violent crime rates from 1973-96 and 1995-96 changes for the crimes of rape, robbery, aggravated and simple assault, and murder. In the context of the NCVS, the report discusses sampling, statistical significance, and statistical inference. Also included are two appendices concerning additional information on basic statistical principles and the data used in the graphics.