Date of this Version
This report represents a compilation and new analysis of data on the incidents, prevalence, and consequences of violent crime among American Indians. The report uses data from a wide variety of sources, including statistical series maintained by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The findings reveal a disturbing picture of the victimization of American Indians and Alaska Natives. The rate of violent crime estimated from self reported victimizations for American Indians is well above that of other U.S. racial or ethnic groups and is more than twice the national average. This disparity in the rates of exposure to violence affecting American Indians occurs across age groups, housing locations, and by gender. br> American Indians are more likely than people of other races to experience violence at the hands of someone of a different race, and the criminal victimizer is more likely to have consumed alcohol preceding the offense. br> In three recent BJS-sponsored tribal level criminal victmization surveys, victims reported that alcohol use by the offender was a factor in more than 40% of the incidents of overall violence, and more specifically, domestic violence. br> This study was prepared as a resource to respond to frequent inquiries and to update the previously published BJS analysis of the impact of crime on American Indians. The data should be of value to those concerned about how crime affects this segment of the U.S. population. br> BJS has undertaken efforts to improve the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data collection on crime and its consequences for American Indians. In 1999 BJS enhanced the NCVS to report statistics on victimizations occurring on tribal lands.