ABOUT THE COMPENDIUM

This report is designed to bring together multiple sources of data regarding the occurrence of violence in New Jersey. Data sources included in this report are: New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Compressed Mortality File; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Supplementary Homicide Reports; New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Statistics Reports; New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Hospital Discharge Data (UB-92); and New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) reports on child abuse and neglect in New Jersey. By employing both arrest data and public health data, we hope to provide the reader with a comprehensive source of information on the occurrence of violence in New Jersey.

OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME RATES: The first section of this report presents the overall violent crime rates for New Jersey. Data in this section comes from the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report issued by the Department of Law and Public Safety of New Jersey. Data are presented for the period between 1996-2000, on all violent crimes (i.e., murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault). During this period there has been an overall decline in violent crime. A map of violent crime rates by municipality reveals that the cities of Newark and Camden have the highest violent crime arrest rates in the state.

HOMICIDES: The next section provides information regarding the overall homicide rate across the state, characteristics of victims and perpetrators of homicide, and the mechanisms employed in the commission of homicide. Data are presented for the period between 1979-1998. The data reveal a steady decline in the overall homicide rate since 1995. The data also indicate that men, and African-American men in particular, were disproportionately likely to be both homicide victims and perpetrators.

HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS RESULTING FROM VIOLENCE: The third section of this report provides data on assaults that result in hospitalization of the victim. The New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services provides this data through the Uniform Bill-Patient Summary (UB-92). Included in this data set is information regarding the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9), coding for the cause of injury to a patient. For the present report, we have extracted from this database all of the records for patients admitted and subsequently discharged from hospitals in New Jersey as a result of injuries sustained from an assault. In parallel with the findings reported regarding decreased violent crime arrests, there has been a decline in hospitalizations resulting from violence during the period between 1995-2000. Men (relative to women) and African-Americans (relative to Whites) are disproportionately more likely to be hospitalized because of violence victimization.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: The final section of this report includes information from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). DYFS investigates allegations of abuse and/or neglect made against a parent or guardian. Data are presented for the period between 1994-1999, on both total reports made to DYFS, as well as total number of reported cases that were investigated and substantiated by DYFS. In 1998, 24.5% of alleged child abuse and neglect cases were substantiated, and 23.5% of alleged cases were substantiated in 1999.

TECHNICAL NOTES: Rates were calculated for the year 2000 using United States Census population estimates for New Jersey. For non-census years, population estimates were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State of New Jersey.

If users of this online Compendium have any comments, questions, or recommendations, please e-mail Dr. Douglas J. Boyle at Douglas.Boyle@UMDNJ.edu.