4 years of age" (Helzlsouer and Gordis, 1990, p. 202).
Murders in the United States are particularly frequent among young black males. There are a number of explanations for this phenomenon. For example, men are more often involved in murders because they tend to be more aggressive than women. Blacks are more often involved than whites because of the tensions which are found in the black neighborhoods of America's inner cities. Young black men are more frequently involved than older black men because of the youth activities in inner city surroundings which glorify violence. These activities include belonging to gangs, using or selling drugs, and using firearms to settle disputes. Thus, the most rapid increase in America's murder rate can be seen among young black men. A great deal of concern has been expressed over the fact that this rate has been increasing rapidly among black teenagers as well. According to the statistics of the federal Centers for Disease Control: "Between 1984 and 1988, the murder rate for black men between 15 and 24 rose by 68 percent; in an especially disturbing trend, the rate for black youths between 15 and 19 nearly doubled in the same period" (Salholz and Cerio, 1990, p. 33).
It may be noted that black women are more susceptible to being murder victims than white women. Nevertheless, the rate of murder for black men is still much higher than it is for black women. This is most likely due to the fact that men are generally more aggressive than women. Because of this fact, black men are more likely to become involved in violent gang activities than black women. In terms of racial differences, the rate of murder among black men is astronomically higher than the rate among white men. In this regard, an article in Newsweek has indicated that "one out of every 1,000 young black men - 10 times the number of whites in the same age bracket - is doomed to a violent death each year" (Salholz and Ceri...