Crime in the U.S. and the Former U.S.S.R.: A Comparison of Crime Trends From the Third United Nations Survey

• NCJ Number: 152443
• Journal: International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 18 Issue: 1 & 2 Dated: (Spring/Fall 1994) Pages: 85-94
• Author(s): M K Nalla; G R Newman
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Drawing on data compiled in the Third United Nations Survey (1980-1986), this article compares crime statistics for the U.S. and the Soviet Union during that period.

Abstract

The tables presented here provide statistics on the rates of intentional homicide, rape, assault, robbery, and theft for the two countries. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union experienced a decline in homicide during the period between 1981 and 1985, but the rate then increased in the U.S. by nearly 9 percent during 1986, while it fell 14 percent in the Soviet Union during the same year. The U.S.S.R. reported sharp declines in the rate of assault during the reporting period. However, another set of statistics on Soviet crime indicates that during those years, the crime rates actually increased in the U.S.S.R. This article also compares arrest rates between the countries. The results of this survey are historically significant, and will be useful when Russia and the other now- independent republics disseminate more current criminal justice statistics. 2 tables, 2 notes, and 39 references