Understand what a violent crime is and read its definition. Explore the history of violent crimes in the US and see examples of violence.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Violent Crimes | Definition, Types & Examples
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is violent crime and examples?
Violent crimes are crimes that cause harm to another individual or their property. One violent crime example is murder or manslaughter. Another example is arson.
What is a violent crime in the US?
DIfferent countries can designate what they consider a violent crime according to their laws. In the United States, one kind of violent crime is murder. Most countries have this in common.
Table of Contents
ShowCrime is defined as any act that warrants punishment as designated by the law of that particular place. Most crimes have an element of intent, but some crimes can be committed even if the individual or group has no intent to commit them. In addition, not all crimes are classified as violent. A parking violation, possession of drugs, or fraud are all examples of non-violent crimes.
A violent crime, on the other hand, is a specific subset of crime in general. Violent crime is defined as one that results in detrimental force being used or threatened against a victim. What constitutes a violent crime varies across countries, and even states. Specific jurisdictions determine their own laws and consequently, what acts breaks them. For example, in France, punching a victim is not considered assault, but in the United Kingdom, it is considered a violent crime. Most violent crimes are felony crimes. Felony crimes are considered to be the most serious crimes and carry a sentence of one year or more in prison.
List of Violent Crimes - Statistics
What is considered a violent crime can change depending on where the act happens. Here is a list of different criminal acts that are considered violent crimes in different countries:
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Rape
- Sexual assault
- Robbery
- Arson
- Kidnapping/abduction
- Endangerment
- Negligence
- Terrorism
- Assault/battery
- Domestic violence
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Violent crime has been tracked and analyzed for decades. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has collected data on violent crime for decades and publishes annual reports detailing the statistics around violent crime throughout the United States. Violent crime, generally speaking, has been on a steady decline since 1992. The early 90s was a time period rampant with crime. Before that, there was a large spike after the end of World War II. The invention of DNA technology and psychological profiling criminals helped investigators find more perpetrators, especially those who were repeat offenders. From 1992, offenders mostly range between the ages of 20-39, which also aligns with the ages of most victims. Interestingly enough, a majority of the violent crimes tracked during this time period occurred within the victim's home.
In 2020, for every 100,000 people, these were the rates of violent crimes reported:
Aggravated assault: 279.7
Robbery: 73.9
Rape: 38.4
Homicide: 6.5
It is notable that in the last 20 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of police officers hired. However, data shows that police officers solve under half the crimes reported.
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The various types of violent crime have precise, clear definitions in order to make them prosecutable and ultimately, punishable. Here are the definitions of each kind of violent crime:
| Violent Crimes | Definitions |
|---|---|
| Homicide | The killing of one person by another whether warranted or not |
| Arson | Intentional burning of someone else's property |
| Rape | The forcing of sexual intercourse on another person without their consent |
| Sexual assault | The forcing of a sexual act on another person without their consent |
| Robbery | The taking of someone else's property under threat or use of force |
| Kidnapping | Holding or transporting someone against their will |
| Negligence | Disregard for the safety of others, resulting in their harm |
| Assault | Putting someone in danger or harming someone intentionally |
Examples of Violent Crimes
Whether or not a crime is violent can be difficult to determine. Here are some examples of scenarios involving violent crimes:
Carrie and Vince were once married but are currently divorced. Together, they have a three-year-old daughter named Emily. Vince is given partial custody of Emily and is angry about this decision by the court. One day, Vince shows up and begins arguing with Carrie about wanting full custody of his daughter. He thinks she is a bad mother and does not want Emily to live with her. He threatens to take Emily away and ends up doing so on his next visit, telling her that they are meeting up with his mom for a special trip. Carrie has no idea where he could have taken her. This occurrence is classified an abduction, a violent crime. Even though Emily has been taken by a relative, her own father, she has been taken away with the use of force, or coercion.
Jessie has always been jealous of her sister, Liz. One day, Liz excitedly calls Jessie to tell her that she has finally purchased her dream house. She wants Jessie to come over to see it, so she sends Jessie the address. They agree to meet up at noon the next day. Jessie, in a fit of rage, drives over to the house in the middle of the night and sets a fire using gasoline. The house is badly burned by the time the fire department is called. No one was hurt in the fire, thankfully. This is an example of arson, a violent crime. Even though no one was injured, Jessie intended to set fire to her sister's new property and followed through with that plan. A person's property can also be treated as a kind of victim in a violent crime.
Brandon is driving around for nearly an hour looking for a parking spot. As soon as he sees an empty space and begins to pull in, someone in another vehicle cuts him off and takes the spot. Furious, Brandon gets out of his car, grabs a baseball bat out of his trunk, and begins to threaten the other driver. The driver gets out of the car, arguing, and Brandon proceeds to hit the person several times with the bat. The driver suffers three broken ribs, a broken jaw, and two black eyes. This is an example of the violent crime known as assault and battery. Brandon used violent force with the bat to cause harm to the other driver, resulting in their injuries.
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Violent crimes have a very specific definition that separates it from ordinary crime. Intentional harm has to be done to a person or a person's property for a crime to be classified as violent. Violent crimes often carry multiple year prison sentences as they are also classified as felonies. These crimes differ in various countries according to their laws, but generally include murder, assault, and rape. Statistics show that violent crimes have declined significantly in the last twenty years, contrary to popular belief.
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Video Transcript
Definition of Violent Crimes
The saying 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' is one which we have probably all heard at one point in our lives. However, this saying can evoke strong emotion when considering the existence of conflict and violent crime in the world today.
Violent crimes include crimes where intentional harm is inflicted against another individual during the commission of the crime. Additionally, violent crimes can include the threat of intentional harm. The infliction of the harm can include the use of weapons, poison, bodily contact, and more. Most violent crimes are felony crimes. These are considered the most serious crimes and carry a sentence of one year or more in prison.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's statistics, in 2018, approximately 1,206,836 violent crimes occurred in the United States. Additionally, aggravated assaults accounted for the highest number of violent crimes reported to law enforcement, at 66.9%. Moreover, robbery comprised 23.4% of violent crimes, rape accounted for 8.4%, and murder accounted for 1.3% of estimated violent crimes in 2018.
Examples of Violent Crimes
There are various types of violent crimes. Some types of violent crimes include the following:
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Rape
- Arson
- Terrorism
- Domestic violence
- Gang violence
- Kidnapping
- Robbery
- Assault
- Battery
Let's look at some examples to get a better understanding of violent crimes. Imagine that Bob is angry with his neighbor, Jim, who has loud parties every night. Bob decides to confront Jim. Bob approaches Jim with a baseball bat and starts yelling loudly about the noise every night that keeps him awake. Jim attempts to explain himself, but Bob starts screaming in a rage and hits Jim with the bat. Jim suffers from broken bones and a concussion. This is an example of an assault and battery, as Bob committed a violent crime.
Now, imagine another scenario. Let's say that Vivian and her husband, Peter, are fighting about money. Vivian throws a glass of wine on Peter in the middle of the argument. The argument escalates and Peter lunges toward Vivian, strangling her so she cannot breathe. Vivian grabs a kitchen knife and plunges it into Peter's stomach. Peter collapses and dies on the floor. This is an example of manslaughter, also a violent crime.
Lesson Summary
Violent crimes are crimes which involve the use of or threat of violence. These crimes are typically felony crimes. FBI statistics demonstrate that in 2018, aggravated assaults were the most frequent of all of the violent crimes that were reported to police. Some crimes which are violent crimes include murder, rape, assault, battery, terrorism, arson, domestic violence, gang violence, and kidnapping.
Learning Outcomes
You should set a goal, at the end of the video, to perform these tasks:
- Recite the formal definition of violent crimes
- Provide examples of violent crimes
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I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
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Violent Crimes | Definition, Types & Examples
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