Trends in American Trends in American ViolenceViolence

SOC 112SOC 112

Part 5Part 5

Trends in ViolenceTrends in Violence1.1. Disgusted / fascinated by crimeDisgusted / fascinated by crime

- turn away- turn away- reach for newspaper / grizzly headlines- reach for newspaper / grizzly headlines- stare at tv for hours (OJ Simpson)- stare at tv for hours (OJ Simpson)

a. 1960s thru 2000sa. 1960s thru 2000s - sadistic / violent crimes- sadistic / violent crimes

b. Charles Manson / David Berkowitz / b. Charles Manson / David Berkowitz / Green Green River Killer / Jeffrey Dahmer / OJ Simpson River Killer / Jeffrey Dahmer / OJ Simpson / Los Angeles riots / “Battle in Seattle”/ Los Angeles riots / “Battle in Seattle”

Trends, cont.Trends, cont.c. Cling to each detailc. Cling to each detail - where body found- where body found - type of weapon - type of weapon - who is suspect- who is suspect

d. Makes unimaginable = imaginabled. Makes unimaginable = imaginable - how horrific acts committed- how horrific acts committed - and WHY?- and WHY?

e. We do this to:e. We do this to: - convince ourselves we are - convince ourselves we are

immuneimmune

Trends, cont.Trends, cont. - we are safe (world / lifestyle)- we are safe (world / lifestyle)

d. We are more vulnerabled. We are more vulnerable - road rage: streets / highways- road rage: streets / highways - unprovoked attacks: schools / - unprovoked attacks: schools /

workwork

e. We know it can affect use. We know it can affect us

2.2. Criminal actsCriminal acts- tells of the time in which committed- tells of the time in which committed- tells about society: values / mores- tells about society: values / mores

Trends, cont.Trends, cont.a. 1920s / 30s / 40sa. 1920s / 30s / 40s - glamorized criminal- glamorized criminal - Machinegun Kelly / Al Capone / Little - Machinegun Kelly / Al Capone / Little Boy Floyd / Ma Barker / Bonnie-Clyde Boy Floyd / Ma Barker / Bonnie-Clyde - St. Valentine’s Day massacre- St. Valentine’s Day massacre

b. Why a surge in crime?b. Why a surge in crime? - high unemployment / depression / - high unemployment / depression /

stockstock market crash / labor unrest / market crash / labor unrest /

prohibitionprohibition

c. Began to question middle-class values c. Began to question middle-class values

Trends, cont.Trends, cont. - personal needs first?- personal needs first? - turning backs on those in need?- turning backs on those in need?

d. WWII / 1950sd. WWII / 1950s - crime rate dropped- crime rate dropped (1) Won important ethical / moral (1) Won important ethical / moral

warwar - trust in government- trust in government - provide for the people- provide for the people

(2) US economy strong(2) US economy strong

Trends, cont.Trends, cont. - people back to work- people back to work - respect for law- respect for law - business: best product / - business: best product /

modest modest profit profit

(3) Family structure stable(3) Family structure stable - low divorce- low divorce - father worked / mother at - father worked / mother at

homehome

e. 1960s / 70s / 80se. 1960s / 70s / 80s - dramatic increase in crime- dramatic increase in crime

Trends, cont.Trends, cont. - continued next 30 years- continued next 30 years (1) Society values: changed for (1) Society values: changed for

worseworse - high unemployment- high unemployment - factories closing- factories closing - recession / oil embargo- recession / oil embargo - race riots- race riots - Viet Nam- Viet Nam - increase in divorce- increase in divorce - families unraveled - families unraveled

Trends, cont.Trends, cont. (2) Gangs developed(2) Gangs developed

- ignored problem- ignored problem - affected inner-city- affected inner-city - now we care- now we care

3.3. 1990s1990s- demographic changes - demographic changes

a. Wide spread prosperity reduces crimea. Wide spread prosperity reduces crime - lowest level since WWII- lowest level since WWII

- personal / property- personal / property

Trends, cont.Trends, cont.b. b. 2000s2000s - Twin Towers (9/11)- Twin Towers (9/11) - stock market falls- stock market falls - corporate corruption- corporate corruption - business moving to other - business moving to other

countriescountries - high unemployment- high unemployment - crime starts increasing- crime starts increasing

4.4. Looking backLooking back- capacity for cruelty = constant- capacity for cruelty = constant- extraordinarily brutal crimes- extraordinarily brutal crimes

Trends, cont.Trends, cont.a. Scare us the most?a. Scare us the most?

- by strangers- by strangers

- on the rise- on the rise

- serial killings / mass slayings- serial killings / mass slayings

b. Gang violenceb. Gang violence

- drive-by shootings- drive-by shootings

- killing of innocents- killing of innocents

Sources of Crime DataSources of Crime Data1.1. Primary sourcesPrimary sources

- official record research- official record research

a. a. Uniform Crime ReportUniform Crime Report (1929) (1929) - crimes reported- crimes reported - arrests made- arrests made - Part I: personal / property- Part I: personal / property

(1) Monthly reports(1) Monthly reports - known- known - cleared- cleared

Data, cont.Data, cont. - juvenile offenders- juvenile offenders

- property stolen / recoverd- property stolen / recoverd

(2) Methods used:(2) Methods used:

- crimes reported / arrests made- crimes reported / arrests made

- crime rate per 100,000- crime rate per 100,000

- changes in crime - changes in crime

(3) Future of reporting:(3) Future of reporting:

- National Incident-Based - National Incident-Based Reporting Reporting

Data, cont.Data, cont. - collects data on each incident- collects data on each incident

- brief account of incident / arrest- brief account of incident / arrest

- 46 specific offenses- 46 specific offenses

- hate / bias crimes included- hate / bias crimes included

b. b. Self-report SurveysSelf-report Surveys

- recent / lifetime participation- recent / lifetime participation

- attitudes / behaviors / values- attitudes / behaviors / values

- most: juvenile / youth crime- most: juvenile / youth crime

- prison inmates / drug users- prison inmates / drug users

Data, cont.Data, cont.d. National Crime Victimization Surveyd. National Crime Victimization Survey

- non-reporting issue- non-reporting issue

- representative sample: 149,000 - representative sample: 149,000 (12+)(12+)

- victimization experience- victimization experience

- many crimes unreported- many crimes unreported

2.2. Changes in crimeChanges in crime

- - 1830 - 1860: gradual increase violent 1830 - 1860: gradual increase violent crimecrime

- 1880 – WWI: crimes decrease- 1880 – WWI: crimes decrease

- WWI – 1930: decline until 1930 - WWI – 1930: decline until 1930

Data, cont.Data, cont. - 1930 - 1960: increase gradually- 1930 - 1960: increase gradually - 1960 - 1981: greater increase- 1960 - 1981: greater increase - 1981 - 1984: decline- 1981 - 1984: decline - 1984 - 1991: rate increase- 1984 - 1991: rate increase - 1991 - 2004: rate decline- 1991 - 2004: rate decline - 2004 - present: increase violent - 2004 - present: increase violent

crimecrime

a. Reasons for crime trends:a. Reasons for crime trends:

(1) (1) AgeAge - graying of Ameria - graying of Ameria

Data, cont.Data, cont. - declining birth rate- declining birth rate

(2) (2) EconomyEconomy

- strong = lower crime rate - strong = lower crime rate

(3) (3) Social malaiseSocial malaise

- increasing social problems- increasing social problems

- racial conflict- racial conflict

(4) (4) AbortionAbortion

Data, cont.Data, cont. - availability reduces crime- availability reduces crime

- better maternal / familial / fetal - better maternal / familial / fetal carecare

(5) (5) GunsGuns- increased availability- increased availability- more teen access- more teen access- more powerful - more powerful

(6) (6) GangsGangs- more likely to have guns- more likely to have guns

- crime associate with- crime associate with

Data, cont.Data, cont. (7) (7) Drug UseDrug Use

- violent crime: crack / meth- violent crime: crack / meth- decrease in use / decrease in - decrease in use / decrease in

crimecrime

(8) (8) MediaMedia- violent themed media- violent themed media- TV violence = aggressive - TV violence = aggressive

behaviorbehavior

(9) (9) Medical technologyMedical technology- healthcare: reduces murder rate- healthcare: reduces murder rate- depends on availability of care - depends on availability of care

Data, cont.Data, cont. (10) (10) Justice policyJustice policy

- increase in police numbers- increase in police numbers

- aggressive police tactics- aggressive police tactics

- tough laws- tough laws

- lengthy prison sentences- lengthy prison sentences

(11) (11) Crime opportunitiesCrime opportunities

- improved home / business - improved home / business securitysecurity

- market conditions- market conditions

- value of pilferable items- value of pilferable items

Data, cont.Data, cont.b. Violence decreased 24% past yearsb. Violence decreased 24% past years

- 1991 to 2004: murder dropped - 1991 to 2004: murder dropped 40%40%

- increasing since 2005- increasing since 2005

c. Property crime: smaller decreasec. Property crime: smaller decrease

- 1995 to 2004: declined 23%- 1995 to 2004: declined 23%

- also increasing since 2005- also increasing since 2005

3.3. Crime patternsCrime patterns

a. Ecology of crimea. Ecology of crime

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont. (1) (1) Day / season / climateDay / season / climate

- most crimes: during warm - most crimes: during warm weatherweather

- murder / robbery: - murder / robbery: December/JanuaryDecember/January

- higher on first day of month- higher on first day of month

(2) (2) TemperatureTemperature- association: inverted U-curve- association: inverted U-curve- rise with rising temperatures- rise with rising temperatures- decline around 85 degrees- decline around 85 degrees

(3) (3) Regional differencesRegional differences

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont. - large urban: higher violence- large urban: higher violence

- exceptions: transient / seasonal - exceptions: transient / seasonal pop.pop.

- economic disparities - economic disparities

- cultural values- cultural values

b. b. Use of firearmsUse of firearms

- play dominant role- play dominant role

- - handgun proliferation / violencehandgun proliferation / violence

- separates United States - separates United States

- personal possession: a deterrent - personal possession: a deterrent

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont.c. Social class / socioeconomic conditionsc. Social class / socioeconomic conditions - a lower-class phenomenon - a lower-class phenomenon - instrumental / expressive crimes- instrumental / expressive crimes

(1) Inner-cities / high poverty areas(1) Inner-cities / high poverty areas - - prisonersprisoners: lower class / : lower class /

unemployedunemployed / underemployed/ underemployed - law enforcement practices- law enforcement practices

(2) More serious crime among lower-(2) More serious crime among lower-classclass

- less serious: spread evenly - less serious: spread evenly

Pattern, cont.Pattern, cont.d. d. Age and crimeAge and crime - inversely related- inversely related - more crime than older peers- more crime than older peers

(1) Aging out(1) Aging out - peaks in adolescence- peaks in adolescence - declines rapidly- declines rapidly

(2) Associated with:(2) Associated with: - reduction in supervision- reduction in supervision - increased social / academic - increased social / academic

demanddemand

Pattern, cont.Pattern, cont. (3) Participation in larger, more (3) Participation in larger, more

diverse / diverse / peer-oriented world peer-oriented world

(4) Increase desire for adult privileges(4) Increase desire for adult privileges

(5) Reduced ability to cope (5) Reduced ability to cope legitimatelylegitimately

(6) Increased incentive to solve (6) Increased incentive to solve problemsproblems

in criminal mannerin criminal manner

d. d. Gender and crimeGender and crime

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont. - data confirms: much higher for - data confirms: much higher for

malesmales - differences: traits / temperament- differences: traits / temperament

(1) (1) Emotional / physical / Emotional / physical / psychologicalpsychological

- masculinity hypothesis- masculinity hypothesis - chivalry hypothesis- chivalry hypothesis

(2) (2) Socialization / developmentSocialization / development - girls: avoid violence / aggressive - girls: avoid violence / aggressive - supervised more closely- supervised more closely - develop stronger moral values- develop stronger moral values

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont. (3) (3) Cognitive differencesCognitive differences - girls - girls

- superior in verbal ability- superior in verbal ability

- more empathic- more empathic

(4) (4) Feminist viewsFeminist views

- liberal: “second class” economic - liberal: “second class” economic andand

social positionsocial position

- roles change: more criminal acts- roles change: more criminal acts

- increasing at a faster rate- increasing at a faster rate

- changes in police approach- changes in police approach

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont.e. e. Race and crimeRace and crime - minorities: disproportionate share- minorities: disproportionate share - both Part I and Part II- both Part I and Part II

(1) (1) Legacy of racism / discriminationLegacy of racism / discrimination - economic deprivation- economic deprivation - institutional racism- institutional racism - police response / actions- police response / actions

(2) (2) Social disparitySocial disparity - family dissolution- family dissolution

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont.f. f. Chronic offenders / career Chronic offenders / career

criminalscriminals - most commit single act / - most commit single act /

discontinuediscontinue after arrest after arrest - small number = majority of - small number = majority of

offensesoffenses

(1) (1) “Chronic 6 percent”“Chronic 6 percent” - arrested 5 or more times- arrested 5 or more times - 51.9% of all crimes- 51.9% of all crimes - arrest / court: did little to deter- arrest / court: did little to deter

(2) (2) “Early onset”“Early onset”

Patterns, cont.Patterns, cont. - early personal / social problems- early personal / social problems

(3) (3) PersistencePersistence

- disruptive at 5 or 6: most likely- disruptive at 5 or 6: most likely

- apprehension / punishment have- apprehension / punishment have

little or no effectlittle or no effect

- best predictor of future behavior:- best predictor of future behavior:

past behaviorpast behavior