BJS: Bureau of Justice Statistics

  Advanced
Search
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
Home | Crime Type | Weapon Use by Offense Type
Weapon Use by Offense Type
On This Page
About this Topic

Summary Findings

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) measures the nonfatal violent crimes of rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault.  Victims who experience violent crimes are asked if the offender(s) used weapons. 

In 2009 —

  • An offender was armed with a gun, knife, or other object used as a weapon in an estimated 22% of all incidents of violent crime.
  • Offenders used firearms to commit 8% of violent crime incidents in 2009.
  • Robberies (47%) were the most likely crime to involve an armed offender.
  • Firearms (28%) were the most common weapons used in robberies.
  • Most rapes and assaults did not involve the use of a weapon.  
  • From 1993-1997, of serious nonfatal violent victimizations, 28% were committed with a firearm, 4% were committed with a firearm and resulted in injury, and less than 1% resulted in gunshot wounds.
Presence of weapons in violent incidents, by type, 2009 
Presence of
offender's weapon		 Violent crime Rape/
sexual assault		 Robbery Simple/
aggravated assault
                 
  Total 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
No weapon 73 % 85 % 48 % 76 %
                   
Weapon 22 % 10 %* 47 % 19 %
  Firearm 8   --  * 28   5  
  Knife 6   8  * 9   5  
  Other 7   2  * 8   7  
  Type not ascertained 2   --  * 2  * 1  
Don't know 6 % 5 %* 6 %* 6 %

Note: Percentage may not total to 100% because of rounding.  If the offender was armed with more than one weapon, the crime is classified based on the most serious weapon present.
*Based up 10 or fewer sample cases.
--Less than 0.5%.

Back to Top
Publications & Products