Adolescent and Young Adult Homicide Victimizations in Milwaukee: 1992-1993

• NCJ Number: 183259
• Author(s): Anonymous
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 229 pages
• Grant Number(s): 95-JN-FX-0028
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse/NCJRS
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In the 1990's, Milwaukee experienced an increase in homicides; this study examines why Milwaukee was unable to counter this increasing level of risk of homicide victimization and what it might do to lower the risk level.

Abstract

The researchers tracked homicide victimizations in Milwaukee since 1989. The data collected cover 5 years, ending in 1993. Only in the last 2 years of this period were youthful victims and offenders singled out for special analysis. Total victimizations reached an initial peak in 1991 and peaked again in 1993. The proportion of youthful victimizations to total victimizations varied across the interval under review. Juvenile victimizations as a share of total victimizations increased over time, but the more dramatic trend was the sharp increase in the number of youthful offenders during this period. This phenomenon was linked to an increase in multiple offender events. The analysis focused on those attributes of victims and offenders that appear to have increased their risk of becoming involved in homicides, along with the environments that have apparently helped influence their behavior. Findings show that Milwaukee has become a depository for persons who have not been able to make a successful transition from industrial to post-industrial development. This lack of success has led to an expansion in extreme poverty in neighborhoods largely populated by minority populations that have historically encountered difficulty in achieving upward economic mobility. The children of these abandoned populations have become increasingly alienated from mainstream society, with many espousing an oppositional culture. This "street culture" is characterized by gangs, drugs, and guns, and associated increases in homicide victimization, especially among young black men. The prevention and intervention strategies recommended reflect the need to overcome the impact of external forces on both individual and group behavior. 7 tables and a 144-item bibliography