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Cost of Crime and Victimization

The direct tangible costs to crime victims annually are estimated to be $105 billion in medical expenses, lost earnings, and public program costs related to victim assistance. Pain, suffering and reduced quality of life increase the cost to $450 billion annually. (National Institute of Justice [NIJ]. 1996. Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

In 2000, 36 percent of rape and sexual assault victims lost more than 10 days of work after their victimization. (Bureau of Justice Statistics [BJS]. August 2002. National Crime Victimization Survey: Personal and Property Crimes, 2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

Property crimes in 2000 cost victims more than $11.8 billion. (Ibid.)

The direct cost of medical treatment for battered women annually is estimated at $1.8 billion. (Wisner, C., Gilmer, T., Saltman, L., Zink, T. "Intimate partner violence against women: do victims cost health plans more?" Journal of Family Practice, 1999: 48[6].)

State compensation programs paid crime victims and their families $370 million in benefits in the federal fiscal year 2001, which represents an increase of $52 million from 2000 and an increase of $120 million increase from 1998. (National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards [NACVCB]. 2002. "Compensation at Record Highs." Victim Compensation Quarterly. (3).)

In 2001, crime victim compensation paid $165.9 million to victims for medical and dental costs; $55.4 million for mental health costs; $73.5 million in lost wages and lost support; $40.3 million for burial costs; $8.6 million for forensic rape exams; $104,200 for crime scene-clean-up; and other expenses estimated at $23.1 million. (Ibid.)

The NACVCB reports that 28 percent of adults receiving crime victim compensation benefits in 2001 were domestic violence victims. (Ibid)

Child victims of physical and sexual abuse received another twenty-three percent of all claims paid. (Ibid.)

Vandalism costs a total of 1.7 billion in damages to households in the United States in 2000. (Bureau of Justice Statistics [BJS]. September 2002. Crime and the Nation's Households, 2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)

The crime-related cost of drug abuse increased from $60.8 billion in 1992 to 88.9 billion in 1998 and was projected to reach $100 billion in 2000. (Office on National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP]. September 2001. The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United State, 1992-1998. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President.)

Securities regulators estimate that securities and commodities fraud totals approximately $40 billion a year. (National White Collar Crime Center. 2002. Securities Fraud: Richmond, VA.)

Check fraud is estimated to cost United States businesses $10 billion a year. (National White Collar Crime Center. 2002. Check Fraud: Richmond, VA.)

Consumers and others lose an estimated $40 billion annually to telemarketing fraud. (National White Collar Crime Center. 2002. Telemarketing Fraud: Richmond, VA.)

The U.S. General Accounting Office reports that health care fraud totals 10 percent of total healthcare expenditures each year, which puts annual heath care fraud losses at $100 billion. (National White Collar Crime Center. 2002. Healthcare Fraud: Richmond, VA.)

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National Crime Victims' Rights Week: Fulfill the Promise April 6–12, 2003
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