ABSTRACT
Most Americans will tell you: You have to be careful everywhere. Someone might break into the house.
You might be mugged, or raped, or murdered! This has become such a violent nation. Has it? It is true that our violent crimes far exceed those in most parts of
the industrialized word. However, from 1993 through 1996, homicide rates dropped by 20 percent.2 In fact, among children, despite the high-profile school shootings, crime is also down. According to Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, “In 1997, there were 31 serious violent juvenile crimes committed for every 1,000 children ages 12 to 17. That’s down from 52 per 1,000 in 1993, and it’s the lowest rate since 1986, according to Justice Department figures. . . . There are also fewer teenage victims of crime. There were 27 victims for every 1,000 people age 12 to 17 in 1997, down from 44 in 1,000 in 1993.”3
