The Nation - News from Nov. 2, 1987

The nationwide rate of violent crime--including rape, robbery and assault--has substantially declined in the 1980s following a moderate rise in violent crime during the 1970s, the Justice Department said. The National Crime Survey, prepared by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, also said violent crime across the United States has not increased in severity. The bureau, in its nationwide study of violent crime trends, estimated there were 32 victims per 1,000 people age 12 or older during 1985, compared to 36 per 1,000 during 1973, the year the bureau began the survey. The rate for violent crimes by relatives, however, increased from 6% of all violent offenses in 1973 to 9% in 1985, the survey said.