Trends in American Violence

1. Trends in American Violence SOC 112 Part 5

2. Trends in Violence • Disgusted / fascinated by crime - turn away - reach for newspaper / grizzly headlines - stare at tv for hours (OJ Simpson) a. 1960s thru 2000s - sadistic / violent crimes b. Charles Manson / David Berkowitz / Green River Killer / Jeffrey Dahmer / OJ Simpson / Los Angeles riots / “Battle in Seattle”

3. Trends, cont. c. Cling to each detail - where body found - type of weapon - who is suspect d. Makes unimaginable = imaginable - how horrific acts committed - and WHY? e. We do this to: - convince ourselves we are immune

4. Trends, cont. - we are safe (world / lifestyle) d. We are more vulnerable - road rage: streets / highways - unprovoked attacks: schools / work e. We know it can affect us • Criminal acts - tells of the time in which committed - tells about society: values / mores

5. Trends, cont. a. 1920s / 30s / 40s - glamorized criminal - Machinegun Kelly / Al Capone / Little Boy Floyd / Ma Barker / Bonnie-Clyde - St. Valentine’s Day massacre b. Why a surge in crime? - high unemployment / depression / stock market crash / labor unrest / prohibition c. Began to question middle-class values

6. Trends, cont. - personal needs first? - turning backs on those in need? d. WWII / 1950s - crime rate dropped (1) Won important ethical / moral war - trust in government - provide for the people (2) US economy strong

7. Trends, cont. - people back to work - respect for law - business: best product / modest profit (3) Family structure stable - low divorce - father worked / mother at home e. 1960s / 70s / 80s - dramatic increase in crime

8. Trends, cont. - continued next 30 years (1) Society values: changed for worse - high unemployment - factories closing - recession / oil embargo - race riots - Viet Nam - increase in divorce - families unraveled

9. Trends, cont. (2) Gangs developed - ignored problem - affected inner-city - now we care • 1990s - demographic changes a. Wide spread prosperity reduces crime - lowest level since WWII - personal / property

10. Trends, cont. b. 2000s - Twin Towers (9/11) - stock market falls - corporate corruption - business moving to other countries - high unemployment - crime starts increasing • Looking back - capacity for cruelty = constant - extraordinarily brutal crimes

11. Trends, cont. a. Scare us the most? - by strangers - on the rise - serial killings / mass slayings b. Gang violence - drive-by shootings - killing of innocents

12. Sources of Crime Data • Primary sources - official record research a. Uniform Crime Report (1929) - crimes reported - arrests made - Part I: personal / property (1) Monthly reports - known - cleared

13. Data, cont. - juvenile offenders - property stolen / recoverd (2) Methods used: - crimes reported / arrests made - crime rate per 100,000 - changes in crime (3) Future of reporting: - National Incident-Based Reporting

14. Data, cont. - collects data on each incident - brief account of incident / arrest - 46 specific offenses - hate / bias crimes included b. Self-report Surveys - recent / lifetime participation - attitudes / behaviors / values - most: juvenile / youth crime - prison inmates / drug users

15. Data, cont. d. National Crime Victimization Survey - non-reporting issue - representative sample: 149,000 (12+) - victimization experience - many crimes unreported • Changes in crime - 1830 - 1860: gradual increase violent crime - 1880 – WWI: crimes decrease - WWI – 1930: decline until 1930

16. Data, cont. - 1930 - 1960: increase gradually - 1960 - 1981: greater increase - 1981 - 1984: decline - 1984 - 1991: rate increase - 1991 - 2004: rate decline - 2004 - present: increase violent crime a. Reasons for crime trends: (1) Age - graying of Ameria

17. Data, cont. - declining birth rate (2) Economy - strong = lower crime rate (3) Social malaise - increasing social problems - racial conflict (4) Abortion

18. Data, cont. - availability reduces crime - better maternal / familial / fetal care (5) Guns - increased availability - more teen access - more powerful (6) Gangs - more likely to have guns - crime associate with

19. Data, cont. (7) Drug Use - violent crime: crack / meth - decrease in use / decrease in crime (8) Media - violent themed media - TV violence = aggressive behavior (9) Medical technology - healthcare: reduces murder rate - depends on availability of care

20. Data, cont. (10) Justice policy - increase in police numbers - aggressive police tactics - tough laws - lengthy prison sentences (11) Crime opportunities - improved home / business security - market conditions - value of pilferable items

21. Data, cont. b. Violence decreased 24% past years - 1991 to 2004: murder dropped 40% - increasing since 2005 c. Property crime: smaller decrease - 1995 to 2004: declined 23% - also increasing since 2005 • Crime patterns a. Ecology of crime

22. Patterns, cont. (1) Day / season / climate - most crimes: during warm weather - murder / robbery: December/January - higher on first day of month (2) Temperature - association: inverted U-curve - rise with rising temperatures - decline around 85 degrees (3) Regional differences

23. Patterns, cont. - large urban: higher violence - exceptions: transient / seasonal pop. - economic disparities - cultural values b. Use of firearms - play dominant role - handgun proliferation / violence - separates United States - personal possession: a deterrent

24. Patterns, cont. c. Social class / socioeconomic conditions - a lower-class phenomenon - instrumental / expressive crimes (1) Inner-cities / high poverty areas - prisoners: lower class / unemployed / underemployed - law enforcement practices (2) More serious crime among lower-class - less serious: spread evenly

25. Pattern, cont. d. Age and crime - inversely related - more crime than older peers (1) Aging out - peaks in adolescence - declines rapidly (2) Associated with: - reduction in supervision - increased social / academic demand

26. Pattern, cont. (3) Participation in larger, more diverse / peer-oriented world (4) Increase desire for adult privileges (5) Reduced ability to cope legitimately (6) Increased incentive to solve problems in criminal manner d. Gender and crime

27. Patterns, cont. - data confirms: much higher for males - differences: traits / temperament (1) Emotional / physical / psychological - masculinity hypothesis - chivalry hypothesis (2) Socialization / development - girls: avoid violence / aggressive - supervised more closely - develop stronger moral values

28. Patterns, cont. (3) Cognitive differences - girls - superior in verbal ability - more empathic (4) Feminist views - liberal: “second class” economic and social position - roles change: more criminal acts - increasing at a faster rate - changes in police approach

29. Patterns, cont. e. Race and crime - minorities: disproportionate share - both Part I and Part II (1) Legacy of racism / discrimination - economic deprivation - institutional racism - police response / actions (2) Social disparity - family dissolution

30. Patterns, cont. f. Chronic offenders / career criminals - most commit single act / discontinue after arrest - small number = majority of offenses (1) “Chronic 6 percent” - arrested 5 or more times - 51.9% of all crimes - arrest / court: did little to deter (2) “Early onset”

31. Patterns, cont. - early personal / social problems (3) Persistence - disruptive at 5 or 6: most likely - apprehension / punishment have little or no effect - best predictor of future behavior: past behavior