Statistical Data and Facts on Home Invasions  | By Jordan Frankel

Home invasions, unfortunately, are now a daily occurrence across our beloved nation. Though home invasions are not tracked the same way burglaries, assaults, and homicides are, daily news reports go to show just how prevalent these crimes are among our nation. 

In a recent Fox8 Cleveland news report out of Cleveland, Ohio, a 7-year-old girl was attacked by a suspect who invaded the home through a window after pushing in the air conditioning unit. According to the article, the suspect may also be linked to another home invasion in the area that involved burglary, rape, and kidnapping. Police were asking for the public’s help to find this dangerous criminal.

In another home invasion in Denver, Colorado, a female resident was brutally assaulted and raped by a home intruder. According to the Denver Post news article, the woman had just returned home from the gym and took some recyclable items to the trash outside. When she came back inside her home, she was punched in the head several times. After demanding money and jewelry, the woman was gagged and sexually assaulted by the man. He then stole the victim’s vehicle and fled the scene.

The above stories are just a couple of examples of the violent home invasions that take place in cities across the United states every day. Though many residents falsely believe that home invasions only happen to people who live in high crime areas, nothing could be further from the truth. 

According to Jordan Frankel, Vice President of Global Security Experts and world-renowned home security expert, a home invasion can happen to anyone, regardless of their age, race, socioeconomic status, or residential location. “A quick online search of the words “home invasion” along with your city or state will show you that home invasion intruders know no boundaries,” Mr. Frankel says.

Home Invasion Data & Facts

The legal definition of a home invasion is “the crime of entering a dwelling and committing or with intent to commit a crime (as assault) while armed and while another is lawfully present,” (Merriam-Webster, 2019). 

Home invasions are not tracked as a crime in itself. Instead they are usually filed or charged as other crimes such as breaking and entering, burglary, assault, rape, or homicide. This makes tracking home invasions and their risk to each community challenging. Statistical data collected by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), however, helps to shed some light on these disturbing crimes: 

• A burglary occurs about every 23 seconds in the U.S.
• There were approximately 1,030,000 home invasions between 1994 & 2010
• Most home intruders force their way into the residence via a locked door or window.
• Approximately 38% of physical assaults and 60% of rapes happen during a home invasion
• Over 2 million residences will be victimized by a burglary or home invasion in the coming year

Home invasions have become more prevalent over the last decade. According to home security expert, Jordan Frankel, this is partly due to the decrease in opportunities of commercial businesses such as banks, gas stations, and convenience stores. With more and more financial transactions being done electronically, banks and stores don’t have as much cash on hand as they used to. Security technology has also come a long way over the past decade, making it even more challenging to pull off a crime without the risk of being apprehended. 

Many of today’s houses, condos, and apartments are much easier targets for burglars and other criminals. Home intruders know that many residents aren’t protected by alarm systems, surveillance cameras, or other home security devices like that of businesses. They also know that most residents that have alarms turn them off whey they are home. This creates the perfect opportunity for a bold criminal to invade the home without drawing attention to the scene of the crime.

In terms of home security, many residents also rely on nothing more than locked doors and windows as their only safeguard against home intruders. As the above statistics show, this is a huge mistake, as the majority of home invasions occur through locked doors and windows. In many cases home invasion intruders enter by force by kicking or body slamming their way through a locked front door. In other cases they simply knock at the door and then force their way inside once the door has been opened by one of the occupants. Some criminals will even disguise themselves as a deliveryman, utility worker, police officer, or even someone who is in distress. 

Criminals who carry out home invasions are usually brazen thugs who use their victims to their advantage, using threats and other fear tactics to get their demands met. They are often armed with a gun or knife and have a propensity toward violence. While some criminals want only money and/or other valuables, others carry out even more heinous crimes such as brutal physical and sexual assaults, kidnapping, and even murder.

No matter the circumstances, home invasions are horrifying experiences for the victims. They never know what’s going to happen, and there are never any assurances that they or their loved ones won’t be harmed even if they cooperate with the criminal(s). Even those who survive a home invasion without a scratch have lasting emotional and psychological issues due to the intense fear and anxiety associated with the traumatic event.

Don’t Become the Next Home Invasion Statistic—Invest in Home Security

Despite the limited statistical data, daily news reports show us that home invasions are life-threatening crimes that pose a risk to every resident, no matter where they live. Don’t make the same mistake so many other residents do and look to locked doors and windows to keep intruders out of your home. Invest in a variety of home security devices designed to prevent break-ins, such as heavy duty deadbolts, security door braces, and window protection film. 

For more information on how to protect against burglars and other home intruders, read Home Invasion Prevention—Home Security Advice and Devices to Protect Against Home Intruders