People with disabilities face more violent crime

USDOJ Report shows people with disabilities nearly three times more likely to encounter violent crime.

By Tim Wheat

This year the US Department of Justice has released overall crime statistics for the nation that show Individuals with disabilities encountered violent crime at greater rate than those in the general population. For persons ages 12 to 15, the rate of violent victimization was nearly three times higher for persons with disabilities (123 per 1,000) than for persons without disabilities (43 per 1,000) and for persons with disabilities ages 25 to 34 the rate for violent victimization increased from 54 per 1,000 in 2011 to 83 per 1,000 in 2012.

By type of disability, cognitive and vision rank as the highest incident of violent victimization. 

Findings from the USDOJ Report:

• Persons with cognitive disabilities had the highest unadjusted rate of violent victimization from 2009 to 2012 (63.3 per 1000).

• The unadjusted rate of simple assault against persons with cognitive disabilities increased from 27 per 1,000 in 2011 to 40 per 1,000 in 2012.

• Among persons with cognitive disabilities, the rate of serious violent crime doubled across the study period from 12 per 1,000 in 2009 to 24 per 1,000 in 2012.

• No statistically significant difference was found in the 2009 and 2012 rates of violent victimization against persons with hearing or vision disabilities.

• No statistically significant difference was found in the 2012 rates of violent victimization against persons with hearing (20 per 1,000) and vision (25 per 1,000) disabilities.

• The rate of serious violent victimization against persons with self-care disabilities nearly tripled from 2009 (4 per 1,000) to 2012 (11 per 1,000).

It is interesting to note that these numbers include only “noninstitutionalized” persons. I looked briefly for information on people in institutions but I have not been successful in locating statistics on that population yet. Expect that topic in a future blog report.

Please examine the report for yourself at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/capd0912st.pdf