NCJ Number
146861
Journal
U.S. News and World Report Dated: (January 17, 1994) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This is a series of articles addressing the problem of violent crime in America.
Abstract
The opening article, "Violence in America," sums up public perceptions, and raises several points to help put thing into perspective. Big crime stories of recent months do not indicate a new wave of crime; violent crime levels have been extraordinarily high for many years. However, the nature of some of the crime is changing, as random acts of violence are becoming more prevalent, and criminals keep getting younger, although there has been no corresponding rise in the teen population. Impulse crimes are on the rise, previously safe havens are being violated, and crime motives are becoming increasingly trivial. Supporting articles include "A generation of stone killers," which contains profiles of young cold-blooded killers; and "A new civil rights frontier," which features Rev. Jesse Jackson's crusade against black-on-black crime. Another article focuses on the economic damage to society--$674 billion in total, including $202 billion as a result of loss of life and work, $120 billion due to crimes against businesses, $110 billion due to drunk driving, $78 billion to support the criminal justice system, and $64 billion for private protection measures. The closing article features efforts at fighting back.