Is the Majority of Crime in Our Society Violent in Nature?

Is the majority of crime in our society violent in nature?

Violent crime is something everyone in today’s society is cautious about. We hear about it on the news, the radio, newspapers and articles. We hear about it from friends and family. So it would seem only natural for one to think that violent crime is most common in our communities. But what if it wasn’t? Thus poses the question as to whether or not the majority of crime in our society is actually violent in nature, or if these particular crimes are perceived to be more frequent compared to non-violent crimes. Violent crime can be defined as a crime committed with the intention to threaten or cause physical harm to another’s life. An example of this would be homicide, assault, sexual assault and robbery, both armed and un-armed (Australian Institute of Criminology, Trends in Violent Crime, 2008). This paper will discuss the above question relating to what the majority of committed crime in our society is categorised as, proving that violent crime is less often committed then property crimes, fraud and white collar crimes. This will be argued by providing statistical data along with information obtained from reports and analytical research conducted by leading criminologist. It will also be shown how and why society has the perception of an increase in crimes of a particularly violent nature, due to sources like the media and a simple lack of public knowledge.

REFERENCES

Australian Government, Australian Institute of Criminology. (2008). Trends and Issues in crime and criminal justice, Trends in Violent Crime, DEST no. 0111 0079, Samantha Bricknell.

Australian Government, Australian Institute of Criminology. (2010). Trends and Issues in crime and criminal justice, (Mis)perceptions of Crime in Australia, Brent Davis and Kym Dossetor.

Australian Government, Australian Institute