NCJ Number
172278
Date Published
1997
Length
38 pages
Annotation
The high level of urban violence in the United States in comparison to other developed countries is examined with respect to its relationship to the history, public policies, and national culture of the United States and to where it occurs, by whom, and against whom.
Abstract
The discussion rebuts arguments that the frontier ethic or immigrants account for violence in the United States. It argues that cultural conditions and historical pressured have strong and underappreciated explanatory roles in urban violence in the United States. It also notes that many types of violence have been considered acceptable throughout the country's history. Violence has been used by the powerful to protect their interests, by the less powerful when peaceful methods of persuasion have failed, and simply for pleasure. The historical record also includes persistently discriminatory policies that have isolated poor black people in cities; some urban violence appears to be displaced rage in response to unfair treatment. In addition, data indicate that social policies promoting industrial development and suburban growth have contributed to violence, perhaps unintentionally. These macro-level influences, coupled with values that assume that financial success represents individual worth, have created serious problems for this divided society; programs aimed simply at adjusting individuals to the current social system will not be sufficient. Figure, tables, and 171 references