The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is pleased to announce the release of two new research reports and one new data dashboard, all on topics related to violent crime victimization in Idaho.

"Offending Patterns Among Domestic Violence Offenders in Idaho" presents results from a study of the criminal history records of more than 56,000 individuals who have been charged with a domestic violence (DV) crime in Idaho over the last 35 years. Key findings in the report include:

 -- The average person arrested on DV charges was male and in their early 30s at the time of their first DV arrest. Nearly half (48%) had been previously arrested on other violent, property, or drug crime charges.

 -- Case outcome data in the criminal history database indicated that slightly more than 45% of DV charges ended in a conviction for a DV crime. The remaining 55% of the cases for which data was available ended in the charges being amended or pled out to a non-DV charge, the charge being dismissed, or an acquittal.

 -- About 40% of DV offenders were rearrested for a new misdemeanor or felony charge within five years of their first DV arrest, and 17% were rearrested for a new DV charge. Of those who were rearrested, 40% were rearrested within one year.

 -- Three factors increased the likelihood of being rearrested for additional DV crimes:
    1.	Males were nearly twice as likely as females to be arrested more than once on DV charges;
    2.	Younger offenders were more likely to be rearrested on additional DV charges than older offenders; and,
    3.	Those who had been previously arrested for a different violent crime before their first DV arrest were 55% more likely to be arrested on DV charges multiple times.

"Crime Victimization in Idaho: An Overview of Available Data" and its companion data dashboard were developed in partnership with the Department of Criminal Justice at Boise State University (BSU) for their Idaho Victimization Clearinghouse website. BSU and ISAC sought to report on the status of victimization data in the state, as well as examine data regarding risk and protective factors that may impact victimization. The data dashboard displays data concerning various types of victimization in Idaho as well as data regarding services that have been provided to victims in the state. Key findings in the report include:

 -- Two measures of violent crime victimization are trending in opposite directions. Both the number and rate of violent crime victims known to law enforcement decreased over the four-year period from 2016 to 2019 (1% and 6%, respectively). However, the number of victims served by federally funded victim service programs in Idaho increased by 38% in that same time. These opposing trends emerged during a time in which Idaho's population grew by 3%.

 -- There are three major gaps in the existing data: 
    1.	Existing data does not explain why the opposing trends are occurring;
    2.	Existing data cannot measure how many crime victims never report the crime to law enforcement and why not, leaving the state with a gap in its knowledge about the true prevalence of crime in Idaho; and,
    3.	Existing data cannot measure how many crime victims never receive services and why not, or how many access services from programs other than those that are federally funded.

 -- ISAC makes three recommendations for filling these gaps in knowledge:
    1.	Develop new, and expand existing, data sources to include more regional and local data;
    2.	Implement a statewide victimization survey similar to the now-discontinued Idaho Crime Victimization Survey (last conducted in 2012), and conduct the survey on a regular basis; and,
    3.	Implement a statewide standardized data collection system to collect data on services provided to crime victims.

Both reports are available online in the ISAC Publication Library (https://isp.idaho.gov/pgr/sac/library/). The Idaho Victimization Clearinghouse data dashboard is accessible from both the ISAC Data Dashboard repository (https://isp.idaho.gov/pgr/sac/dashboards/) and the Idaho Victimization Clearinghouse (https://idvch.com/). 

The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center (ISAC) is located within the Planning, Grants & Research Department of the Idaho State Police. The mission of ISAC is to disseminate research, data and statistics related to crime, illegal drugs, victim services, and the administration of justice in Idaho. To learn more about ISAC, or to access other data dashboards and publications, visit our website at https://isp.idaho.gov/pgr/sac/.