An analysis of the rise in crime in the U.S. among African-Americans.
This paper examines how African-Americans continue to hold first place in United States crime statistics and how the African-American prison population proportionally far outreaches the prison population of any other group. It discusses the problem of juvenile crime and how African- American children often lack proper adult supervision. They turn instead to television and other forms of media as sources of inspiration and role models. In conclusion it evaluates how a variety of social ills have made African Americans far more prone to engage in criminal activity ” and in particular violent criminal activity ” than any other ethnic group.
“According to Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Larry Thompson, the homicide rate among African Americans was seven times that among Whites, with ninety-four percent of these murders being committed by African Americans themselves. (Thompson 2001) A report by the Justice Department showed that during the period from 1976 to 1993, African Americans were also seven times as likely to commit murder as Whites. (USDJ 1998) Still more frightening, another report from the Justice Department, “Homicide Trends in the United States” showed conclusively that African Americans although on average only 12.1 % of the population during that time period, committed however, fully 51.5 % of all offenses. (Fox and Zawitz 2001)”