Who We Are

Problem: According to the National Crime Victim Survey, between 1999-2000, non-fatal violent crime -- rape, sexual assault, robbery, and assault) dropped by an estimated 15% (on a per capita basis) accelerating a downward trend since 1993. The same survey estimates, however, that there were still over 250,000 rape/sexual assault attempts, over 700,000 robbery attempts, and over 5 million assaults (almost a million of which involved threats with a weapon) in 2000. Even with an estimated 61% decline in murder since 1993 (on a per capita basis), over 15,000 Americans were murdered in 2000. In 1999, about 1400 children and teen-agers, 10-17, were charged with murder in the U.S., according to FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
Sources: Rennison, "Criminal Victimization 2000: Changes 1999-2000 with Trends 1993-2000," National Crime Victim Survey (NCVS), Report #NCJ 187007, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice, (June 2001); Neely Tucker, "Juvenile Homicides Lowest Since '80," Washington Post, December 15, 2000, pp. A14-15:

"From 1999 to 2000 non-fatal violent crime rates fell for almost every demographic group considered: males, females, whites, blacks, non-Hispanics, and 12-to-24 year-olds," according to the June 2001 NCVS Report cited above.

According to a 12-page report released by Attorney General Janet Reno in December 2000, based on the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Reports "4.7 youths per 100,000 were charged with murder in 1999." This compares with a rate of 14.2 per 100,000 in the peak year 1994, and to the lowest rate on record before last year, 6.4 per 100,000 in 1980.

This represents a "68 percent drop from 3,800 during the height of the crack epidemic" in the early 1990s.

"Reno cited 'the power of prevention' as one of the chief reasons for the decline, as police, social and neighborhood programs across the country have targeted high-risk youth. Those programs coupled with a booming economy" were cited as factors contributing to this decrease in juvenile violence.

"'The greatest improvement was among young black men, the population that had been most affected by gangs, guns and drugs,' said James A. Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has written 15 books on crime and violence."

"'I think we've found that a mix of locking up the kids who just refuse to cooperate, along with a range of social intervention for others at risk, can have a clear impact,' said Gus Sandstrom, co-chairman of the [National District Attorneys Association's] Juvenile Justice Committee."

But Michael L. Rankin, presiding judge of the criminal division in D.C. Superior Court, who oversees cases of juveniles adjudicated as adults, said, "Perhaps the raw numbers are lower, but there's still an outrageous and unacceptable level of youth violence."

Problem: Despite decreasing rate of violent crimes, almost 17,000 Americans were victims of murder in 1998.

Source: Lorraine Adams, David Vise, "Crime Rates Down for 7^th Straight Year: Experts Disagree About Reasons for Drop and Meaning of Conflicting Trends," Washington Post, October 18, 1999, p. A2

FBI statistics indicate that, "An estimated total of 16,914 persons were victims of murder in the United States during 1998, a decrease of 6 percent from the 1997 level and the lowest rate since 1967."

"Youth homicide rates are half of what they were five years ago, but twice as high as they were 15 years ago."

"Approximately 1.5 million violent crimes were reported to the nation’s law enforcement agencies in 1998, a decrease of 6 percent from the 1997 level and the lowest rate since 1987."

Conclusion: So clearly while progress has been made during a period of unprecedented prosperity, increased presence of police on the streets, increased incarceration rates, stronger actions to keep guns away from criminals, etc., we still have very serious problems of crime and violence in the U.S.

Problem: The United States has a much more serious violent crime problem than many other developed nations, although youth violent crime rose in the late 1980s and 90s in many countries. Within the United States, the problem is even greater still for minority populations.

"In 1993, . . . every day up to 65 American men, women and children were killed with handguns. In 1990, the figure for the entire year for Sweden was 13; for Switzerland, 91; for Canada, 68; for Great Britain, 22; for the United States, 10,587." [emphasis added] Note: By 1999, the U.S. murder rate dropped to 42.5 Americans killed every day. Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, quoted in G. Freund, Narcissism and Philanthropy (1996), p. 146

". . . while there are more crimes and more criminals in London than in New York City, the homicide rate in New York City is more than ten times that in London." Moreover, robberies and burglaries in London exceeded those in New York in 1992, yet the latter resulted in 54 times more homicides than did the comparable crimes in London in that year (387 deaths of the victims in NYC compared to only 7 in London)," according to Jeremy Travis, then Director of the National Institute of Justice in a 1997 speech.

"For black males in their middle teen years [in the United States], the homicide rate is more than ten times that for whites," according to Travis, citing Hagan, "Youth Violence: Children at Risk." American Sociological Association Congressional Seminar. Washington, DC. (1997).

Problem: "Nearly 10,000 convicted felons and others who were prohibited from buying guns passed background checks and obtained firearms after dozens of states did not adequately automate background check records, according to a new study [report by the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation. The study] "found that 25 states automated less than 60 percent of their felony conviction records. Thirty-three states have not automated any of the records of people who have been involuntarily institutionalized in mental health facilities and 15 states keep no automated records of domestic violence misdemeanors. . . . Colorado, Indiana, and Tennessee automated only 6 percent of their records, according to the report." Thompson, "Gun Study Faults State Background Checks," Washington Post, January 17, 2002, A5.
Solutions: A number of effective programs for violence prevention have been identified by several researchers and studies. Among them are the following:

Ten effective model programs for violence prevention were identified by the University of Colorado's Center for the Study of Prevention of Violence. Named Blueprints for Violence Prevention, these ten programs have been reviewed and determined to meet four important criteria -- "strong research design, evidence of significant prevention or deterrent effects, multiple site replication, and sustained effects." A number of other violence programs have been identified as Promising Programs by the Colorado Center.

Lawrence W. Sherman, of the Fels Center of Government,
University of Pennsylvania, has given a lecture entitled, "REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE: WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T, WHAT'S PROMISING" in April 2000. That speech reviews certain research indicating the utility of several programs for reducing gun violence, including Uniformed Gun Seizure Patrols and Pre-Gun Purchase Criminal History Checks. The research notes that the majority of gun violence is committed by persons with no prior felony convictions, but nonetheless concludes that pre-purchase screening of those with prior convictions does significantly reduce gun violence.

For students, see also "Eleven Things You Can Do to Stop School Violence," at the Action Guide section of DoSomething's web site -- http://www.dosomething.org.

Louisville, Kentucky's "Project Now" provides an intensive four to seven day stay at a nearby camp, which works with youthful offenders to "reduce their pattern of negative behavior and poor decision making." This course is followed by a one-year mentoring program. "Initial results show that well over 75% of participants remained arrest-free throughout the program and have experienced improvement in their family relationships."

See School and Youth Violence Prevention Plan developed by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

The State of California has repealed its law that previously granted gun makers immunity from lawsuits. Under the new law, those who suffer injury or death from negligent or defective manufacture, sale, or marketing of guns will have restored to them the right to sue the responsible gun manufacturers, according to the New York Times, September 26, 2002. Other new California gun laws "give city attorneys access to federal gun-sales records . . . authorize the Department of Justice to test handgun models each year to determine whether they meet state safety standards . . . prohibit the sale of safety locks that are not approved in the state and . . . require arms makers to obtain certification from the Department of Justice that the recipient is an authorized dealer.

[more to come]

Addressing the Root Causes of Violent Crime: Click here to explore underlying causes, contributing factors, and systemic solutions. [link to come]
For information about The Effectiveness of Our Prison System in rehabilitating criminals and preventing a return to crime, click here [link to come]

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