Crimes Statistics That May Surprise You

In an article for the Afro-Netizen Newswire, David Whettstone cites statistics that may confirm or disprove what you believe about race and violent crime in America. This report is alarming to say the least.

Whettstone reports:

" Violence in America has the remarkable characteristic of being done by those who are close to us. Prevailing perspectives are not always founded on solid perceptions. Crime for the most part is intra-racial (not inter-racial, as many fears and false reports present).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans numbered about 35 million -- just over 12 percent of the total population -- in 2005.

(However) Blacks were victims of an estimated 805,000 nonfatal violent crimes and about 8,000 homicides in 2005. This would amount to 49 percent of all U.S. murder victims during that year and 15 percent of all non-fatal violent crimes -- the latter category includes victims of rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault.

Males made up 85 percent of all Black murder victims. (And) another demographic indicated that more than half (51%) of Black homicide victims were between the ages of 17 and 29.

The report indicates that 93 percent of Black murder victims and 85 percent of White murder victims (in single victim/single offender matches) were slain by someone of their own race.

It states, “About four-fifths of Black victims of nonfatal violence perceived the offenders to be Black. About 12 percent of Black victims perceived the offender to be White, while about eight percent thought the offender was neither Black nor White.”

The report indicated that Blacks (78%) were more likely to be victims of intraracial violence than Whites (70%).

It also stated:

“Black males were more likely to be violently victimized by strangers than Black females. Black female victims of violent crime were more likely than Black male victims to be victimized by an intimate partner. Intimate partner violence accounted for 21 percent of violent victimizations against Black females, compared to about five percent of victimizations against Black males. The gender disparity for intimate partner violence among Blacks was similar to that for other victims [of other races].”