Mark Gwyn, Director of the Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationREPORT HIGHLIGHTS
Other findings include:• Homicides determined to be the result of domestic violence fell by about 22 percent with 80 homicides reported in 2012 compared with 92 in 2010.• After simple assault, intimidation and aggravated assault were the second and third most frequently reported offense.• Reported cases of incest are on the rise. They accounted for greatest year to year percent increase, rising by almost 86 percent from 2011 to 2012.• About 55 percent of the domestic violence incidents reported during the study period were cleared.
NASHVILLE -- Reported cases of domestic violence crimes fell 3.4 percent from 2010 through 2012, according a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation study released Tuesday.
The study, which analyzed data through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System, seeks to "gain more insight into the problem," TBI Director Mark Gwyn said in his introduction.
Analysts examined data flagged as "domestic related" and found a 0.4 percent drop in reported cases from 2010 to 2011 as well as a 2.9 percent increase from 2011 to 2012.
But officials believe underreporting of domestic violence because of close, personal relationships between victim and offender remains.
The number of reported cases of domestic violence to law enforcement was 252,288 from 2010 through 2012, according to the study. The vast majority of them were women or girls -- almost 72 percent -- and their reported experiences outpaced their male counterparts by nearly three to one.
Simple assault accounted for 69.2 percent of reported incidents. Offenses ranged from murder/nonnegligent homicide to kidnapping/abduction, forcible rape, sexual assault with an object, intimidation, stalking, incest and statutory rape.
The study said 25,156 juveniles were reported as victims and account for about 10 percent of all victims.