Understanding Violent Crime

Decades of research have documented the strong relationship between crime and environment. The socioecological model, rooted in social sciences and embraced by the CDC, emphasizes how factors at the personal, community, and societal levels influence human development and public health. This study explores how African American males aged 15 to 24 perceive their environments in high crime cities and how these perceptions impact community violence, particularly through gun possession.

BACKGROUND

The study focuses on the perceptions of 357 African American males between 15 and 24 years old living in high crime, high violence cities: Baltimore, Jackson, Houston, and Wilmington. The research highlights that the negative perception of their cities, combined with the necessity to possess guns for survival, perpetuates community violence. The findings stress the need to include the lived experiences of those most affected by violence in developing public health interventions.

KEY FINDINGS

  1. Most respondents described their cities in negative terms, with two-thirds using only terms like “dangerous” or “violent.” In Wilmington, 86% of respondents described the city negatively.
  2. The most common reasons given for high levels of violence included negative influences (e.g., music, social media) and lack of socialization (e.g., absent parents, no role models).
  3. A significant number of respondents did not recognize their contribution to the violence; only 10% acknowledged playing a role in the high levels of violence in their cities.
  4. Less than 20% of respondents believed their cities offered good opportunities, with many citing barriers like race, criminal records, and age as limiting their access to available resources.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. Develop community-level interventions that address environmental factors such as poverty, poor education, and limited job opportunities, alongside individual-level interventions.
  2. Include input from those living in violent communities, particularly those most affected, in the planning and implementation of public health strategies to ensure the interventions are acceptable and effective.
  3. Create opportunities for positive social interactions, including community events and recreational activities, to reduce the appeal of negative influences.
  4. Strengthen police-community relations to build trust and create a safer environment that reduces the perceived need for gun possession.
  5. Provide trauma-informed support services to address the psychological impact of living in high-violence environments.

CONCLUSION

The study confirms that both place and the perception of place are critical in understanding community violence. To effectively combat violence, it is essential to address environmental factors and involve those directly impacted in the development of interventions. Without tackling community-level issues such as poverty, lack of education, and limited opportunities, individual-level interventions alone will likely have limited success in reducing violence.

City Description

86% of Wilmington respondents described their city negatively; only 2% of all respondents across the cities used positive terms.

Perception of Contribution

14% of Wilmington respondents acknowledged their contribution to violence, nearly three times the overall rate of 10% across all study sites.

Reasons for Violence

34% of Wilmington respondents cited negative influences like social media as major contributors to violence.

Opportunities

Only 17% of respondents overall reported good opportunities in their cities; in Wilmington, only 12% noted positive opportunities, with very few able to specify any programs.