Why is the crime rate so high in America?
First of all, it is helpful to know whether you are speaking of all crime, or whether we need to break it down categorically–such as juvenile versus adult, violent versus non-violent, etc. If we are speaking of all crime across the board, our rates are really not that much higher as a percentage of the total population. Cross culturally, about 5% of the population in any society engages in deviant behavior. That is about the number in America too. Additionally, crime rates in America have been generally decreasing. This is particularly true of violent crime. The recession will doubtless increase the rates of property crimes, though. Over all, 95% of crimes in this country are committed by 5% of the population. Usually they are male aged 18-25. Again, this holds true across most cultures. I hope that helps.
