Crime—Some Popular Belief s

Abstract

A careful look at several pervasive notions about crime proves them to be without base. While most Americans believe that crime has increased con siderably during the last few decades, our best evidence suggests that crime rates fluctuate somewhat but remain essentially stable over time. Most Americans believe that the criminal justice system in this country is more lenient with common criminals than are comparable systems in other countries. Yet we find, on the contrary, that the United States is the most punitive of all free nations. Another popular belief is that minority group members and the poor are responsible for most crimes. But this is not the case—crime is evenly distributed among the socioeconomic groups, and the crimes committed by the affluent cause the greatest financial loss. Finally, most Americans believe that crime serves no purpose that is use ful to law-abiding citizens. Yet we find that stable levels of crime and criminal offenders serve to reinforce group values and maintain a social balance.