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Home Crime in the U.S. 2012 Crime in the U.S. 2012 Violent Crime Aggravated Assault

Aggravated Assault

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The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines aggravated assault as an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. The UCR Program further specifies that this type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or by other means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Attempted aggravated assault that involves the display of—or threat to use—a gun, knife, or other weapon is included in this crime category because serious personal injury would likely result if the assault were completed. When aggravated assault and larceny-theft occur together, the offense falls under the category of robbery.           

Overview

  • There were an estimated 760,739 aggravated assaults in the nation in 2012. The estimated number of aggravated assaults in 2012 increased 1.1 percent when compared with the 2011 estimate.
  • In 2012, the estimated rate of aggravated assaults was 242.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. A 10-year comparison of data from 2003 and 2012 showed that the rate of aggravated assaults in 2012 dropped 18.0 percent. (See Tables 1 and 1A.)
  • Of the aggravated assault offenses in 2012 for which law enforcement provided expanded data, 26.8 percent were committed with personal weapons, such as hands, fists, or feet. Firearms were used in 21.8 percent of aggravated assaults, and knives or cutting instruments were used in 18.8 percent. Other weapons were used in 32.6 percent of aggravated assaults. (Based on Table 19.)

Expanded aggravated assault data

Expanded offense data are the details of the various offenses that the UCR Program collects beyond the count of how many crimes law enforcement agencies report. These details may include the type of weapon used in a crime, type or value of items stolen, and so forth. In addition, expanded data include trends (for example, 2-year comparisons) and rates per 100,000 inhabitants.

Expanded information regarding aggravated assault is available in the following tables:

Trends (2-year):  Tables 12, 13, 14, and 15

Rates (per 100,000 inhabitants):  Tables 16, 17, 18, and 19

Weapons:  Tables 15, 19, and 22

Aggravated Assault Table, “Aggravated Assault, Types of Weapons Used, Percent Distribution by Region, 2012”

What you won't find on this page

  • Information on simple assaults. Assaults that do not involve the use of a firearm, knife or cutting instrument, or other dangerous weapon and in which the victim did not sustain serious or aggravated injuries are reported as other assaults–simple, not aggravated. These data are not included in the aggravated assault statistics. See arrests for information on other assaults.
  • Clearance and arrest data for aggravated assault.