Urban and Rural Victimization, 1995-2015

Abstract

Each of the NCVRW Crime and Victimization Fact Sheets provides a snapshot of current research and victimization statistics in the United States....While national-level crime statistics provide important information regarding overall crime trends, they cannot always demonstrate differences in crime and victimization at the sub-national level or clearly isolate factors contributing to crime. The Bureau of Justice Statistics has recognized the need for more nuanced sub-national victimization data, and is working to estimate crime at the state and local levels through the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Subnational program. While existing research–including data collected by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and the NCVS–indicates that urban areas generally have higher crime rates than suburban or rural areas, there are exceptions. Demographics, geography, and culture each are related to the incidence, prevalence, and types of victimization. For more about the UCR and NCVS, see the Crime and Victimization in the United States fact sheet in this series. (Author Text)