In the United States, significant concern has been raised by the public over the issue of violent crime over the years (Maguire and Pastore, 1996). Unlike other forms of crime, there has been considerably more debate surrounding violent crime, with the intention of causing or threatening to cause death or physical harm. Violent crimes range from a simple assault to a more severe homicide. Although, homicide is the most severe violent crime that any individual can commit, there are various other types of violent crimes.
Assault is the most frequently committed violent crime in the United States, and even though homicides are more severe, the number of assaults is far greater than the number of homicides. Simple and aggravated assault are two different types of assault. A simple assault is when a person tries to or threatens to physically attack a person with their hands, without a weapon (Montaldo). However, when a person uses a weapon to cause severe physical injury to someone, it is known as aggravated assault.
Family violence is another popular violent crime in the United States. Section 71.004 of the Texas Family Code defines family violence as “an act by a member of a family or household against another member of the family or household that is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault or that is a threat that reasonably places the member in fear of imminent physical harm” ("Family code chapter 71"). Although it is not necessary that every case of family violence involves alcohol but a large percentage, especially the most violent ones do involve alcohol.
Partner and other family abuse falls under several categories of violent crimes, including domestic, family, and also intimate partner violence (IPV). However, the use of the term does not merely refer to physical abuse. Sec. 261.001 of the Texas Family Code defines abuse as acts involving “mental or emotional injury,” “physical injury that results in substantial harm,” and “sexual conduct harmful to [the] [] mental, emotional, or physical welfare” ("Family code chapter 261") of one’s intimate partner or child. Abuse and violence against an intimate partner or any member of the family can affect the rest of the family as well.
Homicide is frequently heard on television crime shows. In simple words, homicide occurs when a person kills someone, and for this reason it is often mistaken as murder. However, homicide and murder are two different legal terms. In fact, murder and other forms of violent crimes that result in a person’s death are included in homicide. A murder is a homicide when committed deliberately and intentionally. However, homicide can also be justifiable, involuntary, such as involuntary manslaughter, and even vehicular manslaughter is a homicide ("Homicide: Murder and").
Juvenile murder is a form of intentional homicide as well as a juvenile crime, as in a crime, which in this case is murder, allegedly committed by a child who is less than 18 years old ("Basics on juvenile"). Murder is a serious crime, even when committed by a juvenile. Prior to 2012, juveniles convicted of murder would receive a mandatory life sentence without parole. However, in the last year the U.S. Supreme Court finally struck down the mandatory sentencing of juvenile murderers for life, deeming it a violation of “the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment” (Liptak & Bronner, 2012).
Just like homicide refers to the killing of another human being, infanticide, which is also a form of homicide, refers to the killing of an infant child. Infanticide is a century old problem, and over the centuries, infants have been killed for numerous reasons. Perhaps, the most notable example can be found in the Bible of the Pharaoh, who had all Hebrew male infants murdered by ordering them to be thrown into the Nile ("Exodus 1:22"). Similarly, the murder of unwanted infants, especially females, is also a common in various countries.
Although the risk of homicide is influenced by several demographic factors, in the United States, these factors considerably interact with and overlap each other. In the American society, most homicides typically in big cities, in the slum neighborhoods, especially where poor black citizens are housed (Zimring & Hawkins, 1999, p. 66). Similarly, like most violent crimes, a majority of homicides are committed by men, mostly in the 18 to 30 age group, and surprising most of the victims of homicide are also men from a similar age group ("Global study on," 2011, p.63).
Violence that leads to a homicide can be generated by several psychological dynamics. Extreme aggression is the most basic and most typical psychological factor because of which a person attempts to commit a homicide. Anxiety and stress, and even a psychological disorder, such as PTSD, schizophrenia, etc., can cause a person to intentionally or even unintentionally commit a homicide. When psychological aspects are involved, a person might try to justify their act of homicide, or they might be so psychologically disturbed that they do not realize what they are doing.
The findings of studies that show what kind of weapons people use when committing violent crimes are not consistent. The choice of weapon of an offender depends on factors such as country, ethnicity, and gender are some of the factors that Based on certain studies, Blacks prefer to use knives when committing violent crimes, while Whites prefer to beat their victims. Similarly, women prefer to use cutting utensils, such as a kitchen knife, when committing a violent crime. In studies conducted in Asian countries such as Pakistan, women may even use a hammer as a weapon, or knives.
Every year, almost 3 million violent crimes occur in the United States ("Alcohol and crime"). People commit these crimes for a variety of reasons and a variety of factors influence their decisions, but this substantial figure is a sign of the extent to which violent crimes have increased.
References
Alcohol and crime. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncadd.org/index.php/learn-about-alcohol/alcohol-and-crime
Basics on juvenile delinquency. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mncourts.gov/selfhelp/?page=2046
Exodus 1:22. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://bible.cc/exodus/1-22.htm
Family code chapter 261. investigation of report of child abuse or neglect. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.261.htm
Family code chapter 71. definitions. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.71.htm
Global study on homicide. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf
Homicide: Murder and manslaughter. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/h_to_k/homicide_murder_and_manslaughter/
Liptak, A., & Bronner, E. (2012, Jun 25). Justices bar mandatory life terms for juveniles. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/justices-bar-mandatory-life-sentences-for-juveniles.html
Maguire, K., & Pastore, A. (1996). Sourcebook of criminal justice statistics, 1995. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.
Montaldo, C. (n.d.). What is the crime of assault?. Retrieved from http://crime.about.com/od/Crime_101/f/What-Is-A-Assault.htm
Zimring, F., & Hawkins, G. (1999). Crime is not the problem: Lethal violence in america. USA: Oxford University Press.
