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GlossaryCrime classifications

Crimes against persons

Crimes against persons is a NIBRS grouping for offenses whose victims are individuals. Learn why this grouping differs from violent-crime totals and incident counts.

Crimes against persons is a National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, grouping for offenses whose victims are individuals. It includes categories such as homicide and assault. The grouping organizes crime data under program rules; it is not a complete synonym for violent crime, a list of state charges, or a count of all harmful experiences in a community.

A statistical grouping with specific membership

The FBI's NIBRS manual assigns offenses among crimes against persons, property, and society. Classification follows the program's purpose and offense definitions. The grouping is useful for understanding how a table is organized, but the label cannot replace the actual list of offenses included in that table. FBI NIBRS grouping rules

A key example is robbery: NIBRS places it among crimes against property even though violence or threatened force is part of its definition. A table labeled crimes against persons therefore should not automatically be described as every violent offense.

Statistical categories also differ from charging statutes. NCSBI explicitly cautions that NIBRS definitions are designed for reporting rather than deciding the legal charge. NCSBI classification explanation

Example

Hypothetical example: One incident involves an assault affecting two people. The data contain one incident identifier and two associated victim records. A victim-based offense count and a count of incidents containing an assault need not produce the same number.

The example illustrates the difference between record structure and counting rules. Two victim records do not necessarily mean two separate events. Conversely, retaining only one incident row can conceal that more than one person was harmed. The actual reporting method must identify which unit its published total uses.

Common confusion

Violent crime is a separately defined statistical grouping. Its membership may cut across NIBRS's person/property distinction. Crime against a person in everyday language can also be broader than this specific program category.

A victim count is different from a count of unique people across a year. One person can appear in separate incidents. An arrest count concerns an enforcement action and is not the number of victims or reported offenses.

Reading a table

Identify the reporting standard and version, included offenses, period, geographic coverage, and counting unit. Determine whether the data are reported offenses, incidents, victim records, or estimates. Missing agency participation can limit coverage. A person-category total describes recorded activity within those rules, not automatically the prevalence of all violence or the number of convictions.

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