CRIMINAL YOUTH VIOLENCE

Patterns of Criminal Youth Violence in the United States: 1945-Early-1990s

Violence in the United States reached epidemic proportions in the early-1990s (Mason, 1993, pp. 1-3). Crime in the United States, particularly violent crime, has been a major concern of the American population for decades. A particularly troublesome factor in recent years has been the increase in the proportion of all crimes which are perpetrated by young offenders (Silverstein, 1994, p. 14). Persons under the age of 18 years old are responsible for approximately 32 percent of serious property crimes which are cleared by arrest and for approximately 17 percent of violent crimes so cleared (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1994, p. 241).

In the instance of serious crime committed by young offenders, the types of crimes and the characteristics of the individuals committing the offenses are largely known. A national study found that approximately seven-percent of all juvenile delinquency referrals to juvenile courts involved violent crime (McCord, 1991, pp. 211-228). Research has also determined that more than one-half of all

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an increase that stated from a higher base level (Drevitch, 1994, p. 5). By any reckoning, the youth violent crime problem in the United States is serious and growing worse. The increase in violent criminal activity by persons under the age of 18 years old is presented in the table that may be found below on this page. The period covered is 1945 through 1993. Comparing Youth Violence in the United States With That in Japan The rate of violent crime in the United States is the highest among all developed countries and is higher than that found in most developing countries (The secret, 1994, pp. 38-40). Violent crime consistently increases in the United States at the rate of approximately five-percent per year. The major differences between the incidence of criminal offenses in Japan and the United States involve crime rates and the proportion of violent crime to total criminal activity (The secret, 1994, pp. 38-40). Both the overall crime rate and the proportion of violent crime are higher in the United States. Defining crime, particularly violent crime, is important when comparisons are made between different countries. There is a youth sub-culture in Japan that engages in violent behavior, although both the size of the su
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Approximate Word count = 1894
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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