Highlights
Vicariously or directly, the overwhelming majority of Americans are significantly impacted by violence and crime.
University of California: “Our main conclusion is that almost everybody is touched by this…”
“We had people who responded that they passed sidewalk memorials 25 times or more a week, and I thought, at what point does living in your neighborhood resemble living in a cemetery? What does that do to your sense of a future for your community and yourself?”
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Per the FBI and Gallup, violence is exploding in America. Fear of crime is at an all-time high. Firearm and security sales are skyrocketing. People are moving from cities. For high crime communities, they are devastated by fear and the loss of jobs and places to buy groceries.
But, like COVID fatigue, people have become immune to crime and violence. It no longer has the impact it once did. For many, if you don’t live in or near distressed communities, you no longer care about the suffering of fellow citizens.
Vicarious Victimization
There is a ton of research regarding vicarious victimization and what causes people to flee or disinvest themselves from high-crime areas or cities.
Fear of crime is a substantial concern but fear doesn’t necessarily translate into action beyond self-protection. Policy changes fade because people have simply become complacent with criminality that seems to be out of their control.
But the data below offers new perspectives as to the impact of violence. Per research from the University of California, “Our main conclusion is that almost everybody is touched by this.”
Violence Impacts Most People (edited for brevity)
Research led by UC Davis Professor Garen Wintemute shows that violence indirectly impacts most Californians. Though relatively few may experience or witness a violent act, a large majority of surveyed Californians reported having an “experience of violence” (EV). These included hearing gunshots in their neighborhood, encountering a sidewalk memorial to a violent death or learning about a violent event through their social network. The research was published in the journal Injury Epidemiology.
“If we ask broadly about the experience of violence, rather than focusing on acute events, we find that two-thirds of Californians have a direct personal stake,” said Wintemute, who directs the UC Davis Health Violence Prevention Research Program and is an emergency department physician. “Our main conclusion is that almost everybody is touched by this, and we’re a state with relatively low rates of firearm violence. I would expect the situation would be worse in many other states.”
While most violence research focuses on personal victimization, the UC Davis Health team took a broader view to better understand how these acts become embedded in communities. The survey indicates experiences of violence are perilously widespread:
- An estimated 3.4 million Californians may have three or more EVs.
- 5 million personally know multiple people who have been intentionally shot.
- 3 million know people who may be at risk of committing violence against themselves or others.
“We had people who responded that they passed sidewalk memorials 25 times or more a week,” said Wintemute. “And I thought, at what point does living in your neighborhood resemble living in a cemetery? What does that do to your sense of a future for your community and yourself?”
In addition to hearing gunshots or seeing memorials, survey EVs included being aware of someone who had been intentionally shot by someone else, intentionally shot themselves or might commit a violent act (against another person or themself).
Of the 2,870 respondents, 64.6% reported one or more EVs; 11% reported three or more. Women and men had similar experiences.
A Growing Crime Problem For At Least Half Of American Households
Per Gallup, if 30 percent of urban-household residents (big and small cities) were victimized by crime in 2021 (up from 22 percent) and if 28 percent (up from 20 percent) of households say a computer hacker stole personal, credit card or financial information, it indicates a growing crime problem for at least half of American households.
Every Hour In America, A Child Is Shot.
From The Marshall Project: Gun violence claimed the lives of at least 2,200 children in 2020 and the tally for 2021 is expected to be worse. The vast majority of victims are teenagers and the vast majority of those victims are Black, who are four times as likely to die by gun violence as White youth.
Conclusions
This site has shared data as to the high rates of victimization and fear concerns of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, the disabled, the elderly, and everyone else.
As I was taught in federal emergency management courses, facts rarely persuade people. Individuals and groups have preconceived notions about everything. Many believe that moving or self-protection measures neutralize their chances for victimization.
But as the University of California research indicates, almost all of us are victimized by violence.
Per Gallup, data suggests a growing crime problem for at least half of American households.
Vicariously or directly, the overwhelming majority of Americans are significantly impacted by violence and crime. If that doesn’t translate into policy actions, if we don’t care about the suffering of our fellow citizens, then what does that say about us?
See More
See more articles on crime and justice at Crime in America.
Most Dangerous Cities/States/Countries at Most Dangerous Cities.
US Crime Rates at Nationwide Crime Rates.
National Offender Recidivism Rates at Offender Recidivism.
An Overview Of Data On Mental Health at Mental Health And Crime.
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