What can crime statistics tell us about the crime picture in America? How has that picture changed over time? What additional changes might be coming?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Analysis of crime data yields discernible patterns of crime and victimization rates and the demography of both crime victims and criminals. Changes in the frequency or types of crime in specific geographic regions are easily detectable, as are changes in the participation of specific demographic groupings in criminality. Statistics are also able to show how public perceptions of crime are not always realistic and how the influence of the media is instrumental in creating those perceptions.
Since its inception in 1930, the UCR Program has enabled researchers to identify three major shifts in crime rates. The first was a pronounced reduction in crime rates after the crime-prone young male segment of the population entered military service in large numbers during World War II. The second shift was a dramatic increase as the postwar baby-boom generation entered its teen years—the crime-prone age range—in the 1960s. Another escalation was detected in the 1980s, when drug-related violent crimes increased significantly, peaking in about 1991. Through the remainder of the 1990s, major crime rates initially stabilized and then began showing declines in almost all categories.
A fourth shift in crime rates appears to be on the horizon. Factors such as the recent economic uncertainty, increased joblessness among unskilled workers, the growing number of ex-convicts back on the streets, the recent growth in the teenage population, the increasing influence of gangs, copycat crimes, and the lingering social disorganization resulting from natural disasters may lead to sustained increases in crime.