An estimated 1.3 million nonfatal violent crimes occurred against persons with disabilities in 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics said. While the annual victimization total rose from 2008 to 2012, the number in 2012 was not statistically different from 2011.
In 2012, the rate of violent crime against persons with disabilities was 34 per 1,000, compared to 23 per 1,000 for persons without disabilities. Because persons with disabilities are generally much older than those without, the age distribution differs considerably between these two groups, making direct comparisons misleading, BJS said. The age-adjusted rate of serious violent crime—rape or other sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault—against persons with disabilities (22 per 1,000) was nearly four times higher than that for persons without disabilities (6 per 1,000) in 2012.