NCJ Number
179483
Date Published
1999
Length
258 pages
Annotation
The concepts of random violence and new crimes are examined, with emphasis on the descriptive language used, the role of media coverage, impacts on laws and institutions current gang imagery, the contemporary ideology of victimization, the use of the war metaphor to discuss social problems; and links among claims about social problems.
Abstract
Freeway shootings, gang initiation rites, hate crimes, and other new crimes are described as random violence, although it is known that violence is highly patterned and far from random. The term "random violence" is popular due to its rhetorical power; the use of the term also enables society to circumvent other, potentially awkward issues. Media coverage has had an important role in identifying and promoting new, short-lived crime problems, but it cannot by itself maintain active public interest in new crimes. Producing enduring concern about crime problems requires the efforts of others such as activists, government officials, and experts. Thus, concern by others has inspired new laws and has institutionalized hate crimes and stalking as important crime problems. The contemporary imagery of gangs demonstrates how ideas about social problems draw upon an available repertoire of imagery. Similarly, claims about victims tend to be grounded in a common set of assumptions that have gained acceptance in law, medicine, and other institutional centers of power and influence. Another area of imagery is that of warfare, as used to discuss crime, drugs, poverty, cancer, and other problems. This melodramatic imagery shapes both fears and social policies and distorts understanding of social life. However, recognizing patterns in talk about social problems is a necessary first step in coming to terms with both the language used and with the problems. Figures, table, index, chapter notes, appended discussion of studying media coverage, and approximately 450 references