In the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes are defined in the UCR Program as those offenses, which involve force or threat of force.

A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which an offender uses or threatens force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end. Violent crimes may, or may not, be committed with weapons.

Misdemeanors vs. Felonies. A misdemeanor is a petty crime that is punishable by up to 1 year in county jail. While a misdemeanor can be violent or non-violent, it generally involves more minor offenses with minor damages, such as drug possession, sexual solicitation, and disorderly conduct.

There are around 16,238 murders per year in the United States; this averages out to around 44 murders per day. These figures, which are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2011 statistics, include 11,068 deaths by firearms.

Non-violent crimes are those crimes that do not involve the use of any force or injury to another person. The seriousness of a non-violent crime is usually measured in terms of economic damage or loss to the victim. Most non-violent crimes involve some sort of property crime such as larceny or theft.

Some examples of violent crime include:

• Assault/battery.
• Robbery (theft combined with the use of force)
• Various types of homicides, including murder and manslaughter.
• Sexual assault crimes.
• Armed robbery.