Aggravated assault is defined as an unlawful attack by one person upon another wherein the offender uses a weapon or displays it in a threatening manner, or the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration, or loss of consciousness. This also includes assault with disease. Utah's aggravated assault rate in 2005 was 143 per 100,000, a 0.1% increase over 2004. Since its peak in 1996, Utah's aggravated assault rate had been generally been decreasing. The rate in 2001 was the lowest since 1976, although the 2005 rate was marginally higher than the 2001 rate.

Over the past 40 years, Utah's aggravated assault rate has paralleled the national rate. Utah's decreasing rate was outpacing national decreases. This broadened the gap between these rates.

Utah's adult arrest rate for aggravated assault was 54.3 per 100,000 of those over 18 years of age.  This represents a 45.2% increase from 2004.

During 2005, there were 70.3 juvenile arrests for aggravated assault per 100,000 of those aged 10 to 17.  This represents a 2.3% decrease from 2004.

*Juvenile arrest rates should not be compared to adult arrest rates as they are based upon a much narrower population group.