NCJ Number
170538
Journal
National Institute of Justice Journal Issue: 229 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: 2-9
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the increase in gun-related homicides committed by juveniles since 1985 concludes that this increase is linked to drug markets and the spread of guns into the community.
Abstract
Data from several sources indicate that after a period of relative stability in the rates of juvenile crime, a major turning point occurred in about 1985. The rate of homicides committed by youth, the number of homicides they committed with guns, and the arrest rate of nonwhite juveniles for drug law offenses all doubled within the next 7 years. The increase in murder by very young people after 1985 contrasts with the rates among persons ages 24 and older, among whom murder rates have declined. The most reasonable explanation for the rise in homicides by juveniles can be traced to the rapid growth of the crack markets in the mid-1980s. Juveniles were recruited to service that growth. They were armed with the guns that are standard tools of the drug trade; these guns were then diffused into the larger community of juveniles. If this explanation is valid, it implies the need for both immediate and longer-range solutions. One immediate approach would involve active steps to confiscate guns from juveniles carrying them on the street. Illegal gun markets also need greater attention. In addition, greater investment in treatment, more effective prevention, or other health care initiatives responsive to addicts' needs would reduce the demand for drugs and the volume of drugs sold in the drug markets. A cost-benefit comparison of current policies and possible alternatives is needed. Figures and reference notes