NCJ Number
48376
Journal
American Sociological Review Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: (JUNE 1970) Pages: 476-490
Date Published
1970
Length
15 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE AND CRIME, THE BLACK/WHITE ARREST RATE DIFFERENTIAL FOR SELECTED YEARS BETWEEN 1942 AND 1965 IN YPSILANTI, MICH., WERE ANALYZED ON THE BASIS OF DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES.
Abstract
FINDINGS CONFIRM THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE HIGHER OFFICIAL CRIME RATE FOR BLACKS AS COMPARED TO WHITES RESULTS PREDOMINANTLY FROM THE WIDER DISTRIBUTION AMONG BLACKS OF THE LOWER SOCIAL CLASS CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIME. DATA INDICATE DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH ARREST RATES FOR BOTH BLACK AND WHITE MALES, YOUTHS 17 TO 24 YEARS OLD, SEMISKILLED AND UNSKILLED OCCUPATIONAL CLASSES, UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS, AND NON-MICHIGAN (PREDOMINATELY SOUTHERN) NATIVES. THE RACIAL VARIATION DOES NOT REFLECT AGE OR SEX VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO RACES SINCE THESE ARE APPROXIMATELY EQUIVALENT. THE RACES DO, HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFER IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL AND NATAL (PLACE OF BIRTH) CHARACTERISTICS. WHEN THESE DIFFERENCES ARE CONTROLLED, THE ARREST RATES FOR THE TWO RACES TEND TOWARD PARITY, WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER ARREST RATES FOR WHITES IN SEVERAL INSTANCES. EVEN FOR SERIOUS CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, MIGRANT WHITES INCUR SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER ARREST RATES THAN NATIVE-BORN (E.G., IN MICHIGAN) BLACKS AT EVERY OCCUPATIONAL LEVEL. MOREOVER, ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENCE OF BLACK CRIME HAS GREATLY INCREASED BETWEEN 1942 TO 1965 OWING TO THE INCREASE IN BLACK POPULATION, THE RATE OF BLACK CRIME HAS DECREASED. THUS, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE EXCESS OF THE BLACK OVER THE WHITE ARREST RATE APPEARS TO REFLECT THE WIDER DISTRIBUTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT, LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AND MIGRATION FROM THE RURAL SOUTH AMONG THE BLACK POPULATION. THE FINDINGS LEND NO CREDENCE TO EXPLANATIONS OF BLACK/WHITE CRIME DIFFERENTIALS WHICH POSIT SOME DISTINCTIVE ASPECT OF BLACK CULTURE OR RACIAL CONFLICT STEMMING FROM FRUSTRATION REACTIONS BY BLACKS TO RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OR A RACIAL BIAS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)