Over the past few years, America has gotten a bad rep in the international community for violent crimes. Gun violence, in particular, remains a hot button topic with disagreements on how best to address it. While Ohio rarely ranks among the states with the most violent crimes in the U.S., it is not without its fair share of problems. Still, studies show a steady decline in violent criminal acts across the country.
According to the New York Times, violent crime in America declined for the second year in a row. This information came from the FBI. The released report also showed that the murder rate in specific had declined by 6%. Even big cities, such as Chicago and Baltimore, experienced declines in killings. Additionally, property crime decreased for the sixth year in a row.
Although violent crime continues to fall nationally, there has been a 2.7% increase in reported rapes. It is the only type of violent crime that showed an increase for 2018. Criminologists have not yet determined the reason. Some say it might result from victims feeling empowered by the #MeToo movement. Others wonder if there is an actual increase in the incidents occurring.
CNN identified some of the areas where violent crimes increased instead of declined. Among the list were Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Still, the overall downward trend indicates hope for the cities still experiencing all types of violent crime. It recommends that policymakers rethink the tendency to resort to punitive measures as this only continues to increase the problem of mass incarceration in America.
Mass incarceration affects not just adults but also children. In the past five years alone, the police arrested 957,892 children under the age of 15 years old. Ironically, this represents a steady decline in the number of children arrested since 2014.