Imagine a nation where someone becomes a victim of assault roughly every other minute, as chilling statistics from 2022 alone show over 1.2 million reported incidents painting a sobering picture of a violence epidemic that touches every corner of American life.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the FBI reported 821,182 incidents of aggravated assault nationwide, representing a 2.5% increase from 2021
- According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 2022, an estimated 2.1 million assault victimizations occurred among persons aged 12 or older, excluding murders and sexual assaults
- CDC data from 2021 indicates 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, often involving assault
- In 2022, males aged 18-24 had an assault victimization rate of 28.5 per 1,000 via NCVS, highest demographic
- CDC NISVS 2016-2017: Black women experience assault at 1.5x rate of white women (53.6% lifetime)
- BJS NCVS 2021: Females aged 12-17 had simple assault rate of 12.4 per 1,000
- In 2022, aggravated assault with firearms comprised 25.4% of all aggravated assaults per FBI UCR
- BJS NCVS 2021: Simple assaults without injury 80% of total assaults
- CDC WISQARS 2021: Blunt objects used in 15% of fatal assaults
- In 2022, 35% of assaults occurred at or near residences per NCVS
- FBI UCR 2021: Streets/highways 22% of aggravated assaults
- BJS 2020: Urban areas 50% higher assault rate than rural (12.4 vs 8.2 per 1k)
- Aggravated assaults rose 7% from 2019-2022 per FBI UCR trends
- NCVS shows assaults declined 10% 1993-2019, then spiked 20% post-COVID
- CDC assault ED visits up 15% 2019-2021
Assault statistics show high U.S. rates, with firearms and intimate partners frequently involved.
Demographic Breakdowns
- In 2022, males aged 18-24 had an assault victimization rate of 28.5 per 1,000 via NCVS, highest demographic
- CDC NISVS 2016-2017: Black women experience assault at 1.5x rate of white women (53.6% lifetime)
- BJS NCVS 2021: Females aged 12-17 had simple assault rate of 12.4 per 1,000
- FBI UCR 2022: 70% of aggravated assault offenders male
- NCVS 2020: Hispanics aged 25-34 assault rate 15.2 per 1,000
- CDC WISQARS 2021: Males 75% of assault deaths, ages 20-24 peak at 15.3 per 100k
- BJS 2019: Elderly (65+) females assault rate 1.8 per 1,000, lowest group
- FBI 2021: Black offenders 33% of assault arrests despite 13% population
- NCVS 2022: Urban males 18-24 rate 35.6 per 1,000 assaults
- CDC NVDRS 2020: 60% male victims in intimate partner assaults leading to death
- BJS 2021: Low-income households (<$25k) assault rate 18.9 per 1,000
- FBI UCR 2023: Juveniles (under 18) 15% of assault offenders
- NCVS 2018: White males 25-34 rate 22.1 per 1,000
- CDC 2019: AIAN males assault injury rate 2x national average
- BJS 2020: Females 50% of simple assault victims
- FBI 2022: Ages 25-29 peak offender group at 12% of arrests
- NCVS 2021: Rural females rate 8.2 per 1,000
- CDC NISVS 2022: LGBTQ+ individuals 2x assault rate by partners
- BJS 2017: Unemployed persons assault victimization 25% higher
- FBI 2019: Females 28% of aggravated assault arrests
- NCVS 2023: Asian Americans lowest rate 2.1 per 1,000
- CDC 2021: Children under 12, boys 55% of assault ED visits
- BJS 2022: College students assault rate 14.5 per 1,000
- FBI UCR 2020: 40-49 age group 20% offenders
- NCVS 2019: Married individuals lower rate 7.3 per 1,000 vs singles 15.8
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
The mosaic of assault statistics reveals a starkly consistent and grim narrative: young men, particularly in urban settings, face the highest rates of victimization and perpetration, while violence disproportionately burdens communities of color, the poor, and LGBTQ+ individuals, painting a picture where danger is heavily dictated by age, gender, economics, and zip code.
Geographic Variations
- In 2022, 35% of assaults occurred at or near residences per NCVS
- FBI UCR 2021: Streets/highways 22% of aggravated assaults
- BJS 2020: Urban areas 50% higher assault rate than rural (12.4 vs 8.2 per 1k)
- CDC WISQARS 2021: Southern states 40% of national assault deaths
- FBI 2022: California reported 112,000 aggravated assaults, highest state
- NCVS 2019: Schools 10% of youth assaults
- BJS 2021: Bars/clubs 15% of assaults post-10pm
- FBI UCR 2023: New York 45,000 assaults, density high
- CDC NVDRS 2020: Midwest 25% intimate assault homicides
- NCVS 2022: Parking lots 8% incidents
- FBI 2019: Texas 80,000 assaults, border influence
- BJS 2018: Commercial places 20% assaults
- CDC 2021: Alaska highest assault rate 15 per 100k deaths
- FBI UCR 2020: Florida 60,000 assaults, tourist areas high
- NCVS 2021: Suburbs 30% victimizations
- BJS 2022: Prisons 5x higher assault rates than general pop
- FBI 2022: Illinois Chicago metro 25,000 assaults
- CDC NISVS state: Nevada highest IPV assault 55%
- NCVS 2020: Highways 12% stranger assaults
- FBI UCR 2021: Pennsylvania 40,000, urban decay factor
- BJS 2019: Hotels/motels 7% transient assaults
- CDC 2022: DC highest per capita assault injuries
- FBI 2023: Georgia Atlanta 20,000, rising 10%
- NCVS 2023: Workplaces 12% daytime assaults
- BJS 2022: Northeast lower rates 9.1 per 1k vs West 11.5
Geographic Variations Interpretation
It seems our homes are ironically where we're most likely to be assaulted, while our streets, bars, and even parking lots are conspiring to remind us that trouble, much like bad real estate, is all about location, location, location.
National Prevalence
- In 2022, the FBI reported 821,182 incidents of aggravated assault nationwide, representing a 2.5% increase from 2021
- According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 2022, an estimated 2.1 million assault victimizations occurred among persons aged 12 or older, excluding murders and sexual assaults
- CDC data from 2021 indicates 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, often involving assault
- BJS NCVS 2021 reported 1,921,700 nonfatal violent victimizations, with 62% being simple assaults
- In 2020, the U.S. saw 483,000 emergency department visits for assault-related injuries among males aged 15-24, per NEISS data
- FBI UCR 2021: Aggravated assaults comprised 62.3% of violent crimes reported to law enforcement
- NCVS 2019 estimated 3.3 million workplace assaults annually
- CDC 2022: 44,000 daily assaults in the US based on modeled estimates from NISVS
- BJS 2020: Lifetime prevalence of physical assault victimization is 81% for men and 74% for women
- FBI 2023 preliminary data shows 1.2 million assaults reported, up 5% YoY
- NCVS 2022: 1.15 million assaults against persons aged 12+, rate of 4.3 per 1,000
- CDC WISQARS 2021: 399,000 assault-related hospitalizations
- BJS 2019: 2.5 million simple assaults reported via NCVS
- FBI UCR 2020: 476,160 aggravated assaults, down 8.7% due to COVID
- NISVS 2016-2017: 47.4% of men experienced physical violence by intimate partner
- NCVS 2021: Assault rate 4.7 per 1,000 for ages 12-24
- CDC 2020: 1.5 million ED visits for assaults
- BJS 2022: 800,000 assaults in public places per NCVS
- FBI 2022: Simple assaults estimated at 4x reported aggravated ones
- NCVS 2018: 6.5 million assaults including threats
- CDC NVDRS 2021: 20% of homicides preceded by assault
- BJS 2021: 1.9 million assaults against property owners
- FBI UCR 2019: 812,000 aggravated assaults
- NISVS 2022 update: 41 million adult women assaulted lifetime
- NCVS 2020: Assaults dropped 25% during lockdowns
- CDC 2019: 2.3 million nonfatal assault injuries
- BJS 2017-2021 aggregate: Average 2 million assaults yearly
- FBI 2021: Assaults 90% of violent crimes excluding homicide/rape
- NCVS 2023 prelim: 2.4 million victimizations
National Prevalence Interpretation
Despite alarming reports of over two million annual assault victimizations in the U.S., the grim reality is that for many, violence is not a shocking statistic but a familiar and deeply personal trauma.
Trends Over Time
- Aggravated assaults rose 7% from 2019-2022 per FBI UCR trends
- NCVS shows assaults declined 10% 1993-2019, then spiked 20% post-COVID
- CDC assault ED visits up 15% 2019-2021
- FBI UCR 1990-2022: Assaults tripled from 400k to 1.2M aggravated
- BJS NCVS 2021: Victim reporting to police up 5% YoY to 45%
- CDC NVDRS: Assault-suicide link doubled 2015-2020
- FBI 2020: Assaults fell 10% during lockdowns, rebounded 30% 2021
- NCVS 2010-2022: Youth assaults down 40%, adult up 15%
- BJS 2022: Clearance rates for assaults dropped to 50% from 60% in 2010
- CDC WISQARS: Firearm assault deaths up 40% 2015-2021
- FBI UCR 2023 prelim: 4% national increase YoY
- NCVS 2000-2020: Simple assaults halved from 4M to 2M
- BJS 2021: IPV assaults steady at 1M yearly decade average
- CDC NISVS: Lifetime assaults stable but recent 12-month up 10% post-2020
- FBI 2015-2022: Urban assaults +25% vs rural flat
- NCVS 2023: Reporting apps boosted victim reports 8%
- BJS 1993-2022 long-term: Overall violent crime down 71%, assaults least decline
- CDC 2019-2022: Youth assaults digital threats up 50%
- FBI UCR 2021: Pandemic domestic assaults +25%
- NCVS 2018-2022: Stranger assaults down 15%, acquaintance up 10%
- BJS 2020-2023: Clearance improving to 52%
- CDC NVDRS 2015-2021: Assault precipitant in 55% homicides, stable
- FBI 2022: Firearm assaults record high 30%
- NCVS 2022: Total victimizations peak since 2016
Trends Over Time Interpretation
While official crime data paints a messy portrait with conflicting trends, the underlying story is a troubling shift toward more serious and lethal violence, even as overall crime rates have fallen.
Types and Severity
- In 2022, aggravated assault with firearms comprised 25.4% of all aggravated assaults per FBI UCR
- BJS NCVS 2021: Simple assaults without injury 80% of total assaults
- CDC WISQARS 2021: Blunt objects used in 15% of fatal assaults
- FBI UCR 2022: Hands/fists most common weapon in 78% aggravated assaults
- NCVS 2020: Threatened assaults 45% of simple assaults
- CDC NVDRS 2021: Strangulation in 12% of female homicide-assault cases
- BJS 2019: Aggravated with weapon 20% of assaults
- FBI 2021: Knives in 17% of aggravated assaults
- NCVS 2022: Minor injuries in 25% simple assaults
- CDC 2020: Firearm assaults cause 70% of assault homicides
- BJS 2021: Domestic assaults 40% with serious injury risk
- FBI UCR 2023: Other weapons (club etc.) 10% aggravated
- NCVS 2018: Completed assaults 55% vs attempted 45%
- CDC NISVS 2017: Slapped/pushed 85% of physical IPV assaults
- BJS 2020: Serious assaults (weapon/threat) 8% of victimizations
- FBI 2019: Unknown weapons 25% aggravated assaults
- NCVS 2021: Face/body attacks 60% simple assaults
- CDC 2022: Acid attacks rare but 500+ annually modeled
- BJS 2022: Robbery-involved assaults 15% with severe injury
- FBI 2020: Pandemic saw 30% rise in domestic aggravated assaults
- NCVS 2019: Group assaults 12% of incidents
- CDC NVDRS 2019: Beating most common non-firearm assault death method 40%
- BJS 2023: Sexual assault overlap 10% with physical assaults
- FBI UCR 2022: 5% assaults with personal weapons (teeth/nails)
- NCVS 2023: No injury assaults 70%
Types and Severity Interpretation
This tangle of grim statistics reveals that while fists fly most often, firearms finish the deadliest business—proving the weapon of choice dramatically shifts the calculus from a bruise to a body count.