U.S. DOJ National Burglary Victimization Survey
An estimated 3.7 million household burglaries occurred each year on average from 2003 to 2007. In about 28% of these burglaries, a household member was present during the burglary. In 7% of all household burglaries, a household member experienced some form of violent victimization (figure 1). These estimates of burglary are based on a revised definition of burglary from the standard classification in the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).
Historically, burglary is classified as a property crime except when someone is home during the burglary and a household member is attacked or threatened. When someone is home during a burglary and experiences violence, NCVS classification rules categorize the victimization as a personal (rape/ sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault) rather than a property crime (household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft). In this report, the definition of household burglary includes burglaries in which a household member was a victim of a violent crime (see Methodology).
Public perception and media reports of home invasion do not necessarily include intent on the part of the offender. Situations reported by the media as home invasion include—
• An offender forcibly enters a home to rob the household of specific items, including cash, drugs, or other items— specific households or residents may become a target either to “settle a score” or because residents are perceived as vulnerable, such as persons with disabilities and the elderly.
• An offender enters a residence falsely believing no one is home and a confrontation occurs between the resident and the offender.
• A household member returns home while a burglary is in progress and a confrontation occurs between the household member and the offender.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
