National Crime Victim's Rights Week - Resource Guide

COST OF CRIME

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Violent crime (including drunk driving and arson,) accounts for $426,000 billion annually, and property crime accounts for $24 billion. (Miller, Ted R., Cohen, Mark A., Wiersema, Brian, Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look, February 1996. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Washington, D.C.)

Personal crime is estimated to cost $105 billion annually in medical costs, lost earnings and public program costs related to victim assistance. When pain, suffering, and the reduced quality of life are assessed, the costs of personal crime increases to an estimated $450 billion annually. Violent crime results in lost wages equivalent to one percent of American earnings. (Ibid.)

As much as 10 to 20 percent of mental health care expenditures in the United States may be attributable to crime, primarily for victims treated as a result of their victimization. These estimates do not include any treatment for perpetrators of violence. (Ibid.)

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, federal spending on drug control programs has increased from $1.5 billion in fiscal 1981 to $13.3 billion in fiscal 1995. ("Fact Sheet: Drug Data Summary" Drugs and Crime Factsheet, June 1995. Office of National Drug Control Policy, Washington, D.C.)

Overall, rape has the highest annual victim costs at $127 billion per year (excluding child sex abuse), followed by assault at $93 billion, murder (excluding arson and drunk driving) at $61 billion, and child abuse at $56 billion. (Ibid.)

Four out of five gunshot victims are on public assistance or uninsured, costing taxpayers an estimated 4.5 billion dollars a year. (U.S. News and World Report, July 1, 1996.)

Violent crime causes three percent of U.S. medical spending and 14 percent of injury-related medical spending. (Ibid.)

Insurers pay $45 billion annually due to crime - roughly $265 per American adult. Government pays $8 billion annually for restorative and emergency services to victims, plus perhaps one-fourth of the $11 billion in health insurance payments. (Ibid.)

Victims pay about $44 billion of the $57 billion in tangible nonservice expenses for traditional crimes of violence. Employers pay almost $5 billion because of these crimes (health insurance bills, sick leave and disability insurance), and government bears the remaining costs through lost tax revenues and Medicare and Medicaid payments. (Ibid.)

The overall costs of property crime are staggering. In 1995, there were 12,068,358 property offenses committed for a total estimated dollar loss of $15.5 billion. Of these figures: 580,545 robberies were committed in 1995 with an estimated dollar loss of $507 million; 2,594,995 burglaries with an estimated dollar loss of $3.3 billion; 8,000,631 larcenies/thefts with an estimated dollar loss of $4.3 billion; and 1,472,732 motor vehicle thefts with an estimated loss of $7.6 million. (Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1995. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C., (released 10/96)

Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.

Presented as a Public Service by

Losses per Criminal Victimization (Including Attempts)

Productivity Medical Care/
Ambulance
Mental
Health Care
Police/
Fire Svcs
Social
Victim Svcs
Ptop. Loss
Damage
Subtotal:
Tangible Losses
Quality
of Life
Total
Fatal Crime
Rape, Assault, etc.$1,000,000$16,300$4,800$1,300$ 0$ 120$1,030,000$1,910,000$2,940,000
Arson Deaths 724,000 17,600 4,800 1,900 0 21,600770,000 1,970,000 2,740,000
DWI 1,150,000 18,300 4,800 740 0 9,700 1,180,000 1,995,000 3,180,000
Child Abuse 2,200 430 2,500 29 1,800 10 7,93152,371 60,000
SexualAbuse (incl.rape) 2,100 490 5,800 56 1,100 0 9,500 89,800 99,000
Physical Abuse 3,400 790 2,700 20 2,100 26 9,00057,500 67,000
Emotional Abuse 900 0 2,700 20 2,100 0 5,700 21,10027,000
Rape & Sexual Assault
(excluding Child Abuse) 2,200 500 2,200 37 27100 5,100 81,400 87,000
Other Assault or Attempt 950 425 76 60 16 26 1,5507,800 9,400
NCVS with Injury 3,100 1,470 97 84 46 39 4,800 19,30024,000
Age 0-11 with Injury 2,800 1,470 100 84 46 39 4,60028,100 33,000
Non-NCVS Domestic 760 310 81 0 0 39 1,200 10,00011,000
No Injury 70 0 65 69 9 15200 1,700 2,000
Robbery or Attempt 950 370 66 130 25 7502,300 5,700 8,000
With Injury 2,500 1,000 65 160 44 1,400 5,200 13,80019,000
No Injury 75 0 66 110 15 400 700 1,300 2,000
Drunk Driving 2,800 1,400 82 40 ? 1,600 6,00011,900 18,000
With Injury 12,100 6,400 82 120 ? 3,600 22,300 48,40071,000
No Injury 170 0 82 17 0 1,000 1,300 1,400 2,700
Arson 1,750 1,100 18 1,000 ? 15,500 19,50018,000 37,500
With Injury 15,400 10,000 24 1,000 ? 22,400 49,000153,000 202,000
No Injury 8 0 18 1,000 0 14,600 16,000 500 16,000
Larceny or Attempt 8 0 6 80 1 270 3700 370
Burglary or Attempt 12 0 5130 5 970 1,100300 1,400
Motor Vehicle Theft or Attempt 45 0 5 140 0 3,3003,500 300 3,700
*Child Neglect 25 3 910 2 840 0 1,800 7,900 9,700
Source: Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look, National Institute of Justice Research Report, U.S. Department of Justice, National Institutute of Justice, Washington, D.C., February 1995.
Notes: All estimates in 1996 dollars. Totals may not add due to rounding. Major categories are in bold, subcategories listed under bold headings. ? = unknown.
*Non-educational child neglect is not included in any of the total figures in the remaining tables. See text.
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