DOJ report shows highest rate of violent crime in Indian homes

Thursday, September 20, 2012  

American Indian and Alaska Native households saw the highest rate of violent crime from 1993 to 2010, according to a new Department of Justice report.

According to the data, six percent of Indian households experienced some sort of violent victimization during the time period. This was the highest rate among all racial and ethnic groups, with the exception of homes where the head was reported to be of two or more races.

The high rate among Indian homes bucked the national trend. Overall the number of households where children were exposed to violence has dropped in the last two decades.

The report counted nearly 5 million American Indian and Alaska Native homes in 2010. That represented 4 percent of all homes in the U.S.

Of Indian homes, about 2 million had children under the age of 12 present. A larger number, about 3 million, did not have children present.

The report is the latest from DOJ to show high rates of crime and victimization in Indian County. But some Republicans in Congress have questioned the data in opposition to efforts to restore tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians.

Get the Story:
Fewer Children Are Found Exposed to Violent Crime (The New York Times 9/20)

Get the Report:
Prevalence of Violent Crime among Households with Children, 1993-2010 (SEPTEMBER 2012, NCJ 238799)

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