A widely-noted pew Research Center study in May found national rates of gun homicide and other violent gun crimes were now strikingly lower than during their peak in the 1990s, but that most Americans were unaware of that fact.
As with firearm crimes, the rate of overall non-fatal violent crime—defined as aggravated or simple assault, robbery or sex crimes (with or without a gun)—also is lower than it was in the early 1990s.
From 1993 to 2011, the U.S. non-fatal violent crime victimization rate for Americans ages 12 and older declined 72%.
There were 2,254 non-fatal violent crime victimizations per 100,000 Americans ages 12 and older in 2011, compared with 7,976 in 1993. The number of such victimizations in 2011 — 5.8 million — also was a decline from 16.8 million victimizations in 1993.
Looking at the main components of non-fatal violent crime, in 2011, 31% of aggravated assault victimizations involved a gun, the same share as in 1993. In 2011, 26% of robbery victimizations involved a gun, similar to the 22% share in 1993.
Young adults have the highest victimization rates. The highest rate is among those ages 18 to 24, followed by those ages 12 to 17. Read more
