Violent Crime: Personal

and Political
SOC 112
Chapter 10
 Trends in Violence
1. Disgusted / fascinated by crime
- turn away
- reach for newspaper / grizzly headlines
- stare at TV for hours (OJ Simpson)

a. 1960s thru early 2000s

- sadistic / violent crimes

b. Charles Manson / David Berkowitz / Green

River Killer / Jeffrey Dahmer / OJ Simpson
/ Los Angeles riots / “Battle in Seattle”
 Trends, cont.
c. Cling to each detail
- where body found
- type of weapon
- who is suspect

d. Makes unimaginable = imaginable

- how horrific acts committed
- and WHY?

e. We do this to:
- convince ourselves we are immune
 Trends, cont.
- we are safe (world / lifestyle)

d. We are more vulnerable

- road rage: streets / highways
- unprovoked attacks: schools / work

e. We know it can affect us

2. Criminal acts
- tells of the time in which committed
- tells about society: values / mores
 Trends, cont.
a. 1920s / 30s / 40s
- glamorized criminal
- Machinegun Kelly / Al Capone / Little
Boy Floyd / Ma Barker / Bonnie-Clyde
- St. Valentine’s Day massacre

b. Why a surge in crime?

- high unemployment / depression / stock
market crash / labor unrest / prohibition

c. Began to question middle-class values

 Trends, cont.
- personal needs first?
- turning backs on those in need?

d. WWII / 1950s
- crime rate dropped

(1) Won important ethical / moral war

- trust in government
- provide for the people

(2) US economy strong

 Trends, cont.
- people back to work
- respect for law
- business: best product / modest
profit

(3) Family structure stable

- low divorce
- father worked / mother at home

e. 1960s / 70s / 80s

- dramatic increase in crime
 Trends, cont.
- continued next 30 years

(1) Society values: changed for worse

- high unemployment
- factories closing
- recession / oil embargo
- race riots
- Viet Nam
- increase in divorce
- families unraveled
 Trends, cont.
(2) Gangs developed
- ignored problem
- affected inner-city
- now we care

3. 1990s
- demographic changes

a. Wide spread prosperity reduces crime

- lowest level since WWII
- personal / property
 Trends, cont.
b. Early 2000s
- Twin Towers (9/11)
- stock market falls
- corporate corruption
- business moving to other countries
- high unemployment
- crime starts increasing

4. Looking back
- capacity for cruelty = constant
- extraordinarily brutal crimes
 Trends, cont.
a. Scare us the most?
- by strangers
- on the rise
- serial killings / mass slayings

b. Gang violence
- drive-by shootings
- killing of innocents
 Sources of Crime Data
1. Primary sources
- official record research

a. Uniform Crime Report (1929)

- crimes reported
- arrests made
- Part I: personal / property

(1) Monthly reports

- known
- cleared
 Data, cont.
- juvenile offenders
- property stolen / recoverd

(2) Methods used:

- crimes reported / arrests made
- crime rate per 100,000
- changes in crime

(3) Future of reporting:

- National Incident-Based Reporting
 Data, cont.
- collects data on each incident
- brief account of incident / arrest
- 46 specific offenses
- hate / bias crimes included

b. Self-report Surveys
- recent / lifetime participation
- attitudes / behaviors / values
- most: juvenile / youth crime
- prison inmates / drug users
 Data, cont.
d. National Crime Victimization Survey
- non-reporting issue
- representative sample: 149,000 (12+)
- victimization experience
- many crimes unreported

2. Changes in crime
- 1830 - 1860: gradual increase violent crime
- 1880 – WWI: crimes decrease
- WWI – 1930: decline until 1930
 Data, cont.
- 1930 - 1960: increase gradually
- 1960 - 1981: greater increase
- 1981 - 1984: decline
- 1984 - 1991: rate increase
- 1991 - 2004: rate decline
- 2004 - present: increase violent crime

a. Reasons for crime trends:

(1) Age
- graying of America
 Data, cont.
- declining birth rate

(2) Economy
- strong = lower crime rate

(3) Social malaise

- increasing social problems
- racial conflict

(4) Abortion
 Data, cont.
- availability reduces crime
- better maternal / familial / fetal care

(5) Guns
- increased availability
- more teen access
- more powerful

(6) Gangs
- more likely to have guns
- crime associate with
 Data, cont.
(7) Drug Use
- violent crime: crack / meth
- decrease in use / decrease in crime

(8) Media
- violent themed media
- TV violence = aggressive behavior

(9) Medical technology

- healthcare: reduces murder rate
- depends on availability of care
 Data, cont.
(10) Justice policy
- increase in police numbers
- aggressive police tactics
- tough laws
- lengthy prison sentences

(11) Crime opportunities

- improved home / business security
- market conditions
- value of pilferable items
 Data, cont.
b. Violence decreased 24% past decade
- 1991 to 2004: murder dropped 40%
- increasing since 2005

c. Property crime: smaller decrease

- 1995 to 2004: declined 23%

3. Crime patterns

a. Ecology of crime
 Patterns, cont.
(1) Day / season / climate
- most crimes: during warm weather
- murder / robbery: December/January
- higher on first day of month

(2) Temperature
- association: inverted U-curve
- rise with rising temperatures
- decline around 85 degrees

(3) Regional differences

 Patterns, cont.
- large urban: higher violence
- exceptions: transient / seasonal pop.
- economic disparities
- cultural values

b. Use of firearms
- play dominant role
- handgun proliferation / violence
- separates United States
- personal possession: a deterrent
 Patterns, cont.
c. Social class / socioeconomic conditions
- a lower-class phenomenon
- instrumental / expressive crimes

(1) Inner-cities / high poverty areas

- prisoners: lower class / unemployed
/ underemployed
- law enforcement practices

(2) More serious crime among lower-class

- less serious: spread evenly
 Pattern, cont.
d. Age and crime
- inversely related
- more crime than older peers

(1) Aging out

- peaks in adolescence
- declines rapidly

(2) Associated with:

- reduction in supervision
- increased social / academic demand
 Pattern, cont.
(3) Participation in larger, more diverse /
peer-oriented world

(4) Increase desire for adult privileges

(5) Reduced ability to cope legitimately

(6) Increased incentive to solve problems

in criminal manner

d. Gender and crime

 Patterns, cont.
- data confirms: much higher for males
- differences: traits / temperament

(1) Emotional / physical / psychological

- masculinity hypothesis
- chivalry hypothesis

(2) Socialization / development

- girls: avoid violence / aggressive
- supervised more closely
- develop stronger moral values
 Patterns, cont.
(3) Cognitive differences - girls
- superior in verbal ability
- more empathic

(4) Feminist views

- liberal: “second class” economic and
social position
- roles change: more criminal acts
- increasing at a faster rate
- changes in police approach
 Patterns, cont.
e. Race and crime
- minorities: disproportionate share
- both Part I and Part II

(1) Legacy of racism / discrimination

- economic deprivation
- institutional racism
- police response / actions

(2) Social disparity

- family dissolution
 Patterns, cont.
f. Chronic offenders / career criminals
- most commit single act / discontinue
after arrest
- small number = majority of offenses

(1) “Chronic 6 percent”

- arrested 5 or more times
- 51.9% of all crimes
- arrest / court: did little to deter

(2) “Early onset”

 Patterns, cont.
- early personal / social problems

(3) Persistence
- disruptive at 5 or 6: most likely
- apprehension / punishment have
little or no effect
- best predictor of future behavior:
past behavior
 Chapter 11: Property Crimes
 1. Theft
 - taking property of another

 - without consent

 a. Types of thieves
 - occasional

 - professional

b. Types of thefts - petty / grand

- Washington: gross misdemeanor / felony
- value: first / second / third degrees
 Property
 (1) Common thefts
- shoplifting / credit card theft / auto theft
- fraud / embezzlement / etc.

(2) Burglary
- felony
- entering w/o permission
- commit a crime inside
- residential / commercial

(3) Arson
- willful/malicious burning property of another