A home invasion is a serious event. It is a breech of trust that someone has with society and it happens because a thief wants what someone else has. Despite extensive security measures being taken, including alarm system installation, home invasions in the United States are quite common.
According to the FBI, one property crime happens every 3 seconds.
Home Invasion Robbery
It isn’t just theft that happens during a home invasion. If a home owner happens to be in the home at the time of the crime, then there is a good chance that an assault will happen. Violent crime has direct links with home invasions. Here is the most disturbing trend: although crime rates are going down, property crime rates are actually going up.
- 38% of the assaults that are reported to law enforcement officials happen during the events of a home invasion.
- The percentage of rapes that occur because of a home invasion incident: 60%.
- Over 2 million homes will experience a break-in or burglary at some point in time in the United States.
- It is possible to buy a set of bump keys for less than $20 online and these will unlock 9 out of 10 doors in the United States without difficulty.
- No traditional lock is bump proof, but insurance companies regularly deny claims because there is no proof of forced entry to prove a crime was committed.
- The estimated number of household burglaries that occur every year: 3.8 million.
- 7% of all household burglaries results in some form of a violent victimization.
- Rates of household burglary were generally lower for higher income households than lower income households.
- The most common type of home that experiences a home invasion is a mobile home.
- Offenders used an open door or window to gain unlawful entry in 17% of unoccupied residences.
- 60% of convicted burglars avoid targeting homes with a security system.
Hidden statistics shine a lot of light on the trends of home invasions. Here’s one that is very disturbing: with 2 million homes targeted annually, but 3.8 million household burglaries occurring, the average victim of a home invasion will be a victim not once, but twice. This is why it is so important to make sure your vehicle stays locked when parked outside. Don’t store a spare key somewhere near the door. Always lock up your doors at night and use a deadbolt and an interior chain. Although you may not be able to protect yourself against a bump key, you can add multiple layers of protection that will give you extra time to respond.
It’s Not Always Strangers That Commit A Home Invasion
- A third of all home invasions occur when someone is at the home.
- Offenders were known to their victims in 65% of violent burglaries.
- 61% of offenders were unarmed when violence occurred during a burglary while a resident was present.
- The percentage of home invasions that occur with an offender who is armed with a firearm of some sort: 12%.
- Serious injuries accounts for 9% of the total reported victimization incidents that were related to a completed home invasion.
- Households residing in single family units and higher density structures of 10 or more units were least likely to be burglarized.
- In 18% of reported home invasions, the home owner voluntarily let the offender into the home and another 12% opened the door to have an offender push their way in.
Most home invasions occur as a form of domestic violence. It may be from a close family member, a dear friend, or a trusted associate. 1 out of every 10 family incidents of a home invasion involves a firearm to make sure the crime takes place unimpeded. It’s one of the most dangerous forms of this crime because many family members or close friends are unwilling to report an incident that occurs so that the person can be “protected” from harm. Although noble, the only thing that tends to happen is a build-up of confidence in the intruder. Perhaps that’s why the average victim suffers two home invasions instead of just one.
What Is A Home Invasion?
- A person who enters or remains unlawfully in a dwelling with the intent of committing a violent crime is committing a home invasion.
- In non-violent home invasions, household members knew the offender in 30% of the reported incidents.
- In 4 out of every 10 home invasions, the offender is not known to the home owner or person residing in the targeted home.
- An offender who enters a residence with the falsely belief that no one is home and a confrontation occurs between the resident and the offender is still considered a home invasion.
- Most home invasions happen through the front door, even when there are more convenient entry points to a home.
- In the last decade, the increase of violent burglaries was by over 2%. That may not seem like much, but in the scope of nearly 4 million total burglaries, that’s 80,000 extra people who are being seriously hurt.
- The most targeted household for a home invasion in the United States is a single parent living with children, accounting for more than 10% of all crime in this category.
The best way to make sure that you don’t become the victim of a home invasion is to make your home the least tempting target possible. Keep extreme valuables off-site somewhere, such as a bank deposit box. Be careful about what information you share on social networking websites so that people won’t be able to scout out your home and your valuable in their free time. Sell through authorized outlets instead of making a direct sale on a free website. If you do make a sale of an item to a stranger, meet them somewhere in public instead of allowing them into your home. This is especially true if you are a single parent.
Although millions of people visit Brandon's blog each month, his path to success was not easy. Go here to read his incredible story, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors." If you want to send Brandon a quick message, then visit his contact page here. Brandon is currently the CEO of Aided.