NCJ Number
159343
Editor(s)
D Bender,
B Leone,
S Barbour,
K L Swisher
Date Published
1996
Length
306 pages
Annotation
Statistics on violent crime rates in the United States vary, but most sources agree that levels are high and that they are increasing or have remained consistently high for the past three decades.
Abstract
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime rates rose more than 370 percent between 1960 and 1991. Officials are particularly alarmed by reports of skyrocketing violent crime rates among juveniles, but no consensus exists on reasons for reported changes in the extent and nature of youth violence. Responding largely to the increase in youth violence, many health officials advocate a public health approach to violence. This approach is based on the idea that the medical community should attempt to keep violence from happening rather than react to violent incidents after they occur. Some individuals, however, are critical of the public health approach to youth violence. Most opposition comes from those who believe that underlying violence causes, especially in inner cities, are social and economic problems such as poverty, racial discrimination, lack of employment opportunities, and decaying social institutions. Critics of the public health approach believe structural causes of violence should be addressed. Articles contained in the book focus on whether violence is a serious problem in the United States, what causes violence, the extent and seriousness of domestic violence, how youth violence should be addressed, and appropriate policies to reduce violence. Specific attention is paid to media coverage of violence, violence in the workplace, family violence, the link between drugs and violence, the battered woman syndrome, violent juvenile offenders, gun control, and the use of incarceration to reduce violence. References, tables, and figures