Victim Costs of Violent Crime and Resulting Injuries

Data sources were the National Crime Survey, the National Fire Incident Reporting System, and the Uniform Crime Reports. The cost estimates are an initial effort to estimate recent costs of victimization, using mostly secondary data. The findings are preliminary rather than definitive. The costs encompass medical costs, mental health costs, victim services, emergency response costs, productivity losses, program administration, and lost quality of life. In 1987, physical injury to people age 12 and older that resulted from rape, robbery, assault, murder, and arson caused approximately $10 billion in potential health- related costs, including some unmet mental health care needs. It led to $23 billion in lost productivity and almost $145 billion in reduced quality of life (in 1989 dollars). If associated deaths and cases resulting in psychological injury only are included, costs average $47,000 for rape, $19,000 for robbery, $15,000 for assault, and $25,000 for arson. Considering only survivors with physical injury, rapes cost $60,000, robberies $25,000, assaults $22,000, and arson $50,000. Costs are almost $2.4 million per murder. Lifetime costs for all intentional injuries totaled $178 billion during 1987-1990. 5 exhibits and 25 notes