Most Americans believe that crime is worse today than in the past. Many can recall times when the doors of homes could be left unlocked. They remember when city streets, parks, and other public places were safe for walking, even alone and at night. The past represents a time when violence was not only less prevalent but also less senseless. Now, all too often, we hear of vicious thugs who attack for no discernible reason. Crime appears to be more violent, more irrational, and more widespread than ever. Beyond the increasing viciousness of the crime, Americans also appear to face greater risks of criminal victimization. A government study recently reported that the chance of becoming a victim of violent crime is greater than that of being affected by divorce.
The press–in newspapers, television, and magazines–keeps us apprised of the seriousness of the crime problem. A big-city daily newspaper rarely publishes an issue without at least one article about some violent crime committed the previous evening.
The broadcasting industry also engages in vigorous crime reporting. During the evening news, viewers are often taken to the scene of a violent crime. Remote capabilities allow us to see a victim being loaded into an ambulance or the police outline on the pavement. Reporters interview investigators, witnesses, and even victims. By bringing violence right into American homes, such dramatic portrayals make the crime seem less remote (Connor, 2002).
Neighborhoods and social classes in which crime seldom surfaced now experience violence and theft regularly. Once virtually isolated members of the middle class–residents of suburbia and rural America, the “respectable” and “comfortable”-now hide behind locked doors. Young people on the street corner threaten our sense of security. A squeak in a floorboard at home may suggest an intruder. Faced with these fears, we never feel secure. As a result of the perceived threat of crime, Americans are becoming more and more fearful. On a personal level, fear eats. away at feelings of safety and security, elements so important to our sense of well-being.
On a social level, it destroys patterns of interpersonal relations, particularly among strangers, thus constricting the social environment of many people and reducing the variety of life for them. As Americans are convinced they will be attacked, robbed, raped, and murdered, they change their lifestyles, restricting the places they go and the things they do. Critics admit that one person in every seven is afraid in his own home. So people believe not only that their chances of criminal victimization are increasing but also that they are more likely to be seriously injured or even killed if attacked (Silberman 2000).
Other symbolic but nonetheless real manifestations of concern and the desire for protection can be seen in human behavior. Body language of people in public places is an example. When police officers appear on a subway platform, the crowd gravitates toward them. Fewer people wear jewelry in public places, instead of concealing it beneath clothing for fear it will be snatched. To isolate themselves psychologically, people avoid making eye contact with one another in crowded public places. Apparently, fear seldom leaves the conscious mind of many people. They are wary and, much like wild animals, constantly check and evaluate the environment for potential predators (Sutherland and Cressey 2000). Such steps are perceived to be the only way to survive. People are also adopting more aggressive and violent means of self-protection.
Police reports suggest that as you look down the street of your neighborhood or down the hallway of your apartment building, someone behind every fifth door will have personally experienced crime during the past twelve months. From this perspective alone, no wonder Americans are fearful. Crime is so pervasive that it touches almost everyone. In fact, at this rate, some member of your household should be the victim of a crime once every five years.
But before you head for the pawnshop to purchase a handgun, or for the hardware store to buy locks and burglar bars, further assessment should be made. Depending on your age, sex, socioeconomic status, and other factors, you may be much less likely to be victimized than these figures indicate. In addition, these statistics include many relatively minor offenses that are not personally threatening and in which the victim plays a significant role. For example, when you leave your sweater lying on a park bench and someone walks off with it, that may become an official crime–theft. Larceny (personal and household thefts with no force involved) accounted for two-thirds of the 35 million victimizations, and quite often the value of the stolen property was small (Wilson 2000).
Personally, I suppose that people from the poorest families experience the highest rates of victimization for most crimes. Household larceny and motor vehicle thefts (where wealthy families are more likely to be victimized) are the two exceptions to this pattern. The poor are much more vulnerable to violent crime. Individuals from the highest income levels are victimized only about half as often as members of the poorest families.
This is true for all violent crimes except rape, where women from poor families are nine times more likely to be attacked than women from wealthy families. Another important difference among income categories is that poor persons are much more likely to be seriously injured when robbed or assaulted than more affluent people. In recent years three factors have played major roles in shaping public opinion about crime. The distortion of information by the mass media and the law enforcement establishment plays a crucial role in crime perception and interpretation.
References
Connor, Walter D. (2002). Deviance in Soviet Society. New York: Columbia University Press.
Silberman, Charles E (2000). Criminal Violence, Criminal Justice. New York: Vintage Books.
Sutherland Edwin H. and Cressey, Donald (2001). Principles of Criminology, 7th ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
Wilson, Margaret (2000). The Crime of Punishment. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.