At the start of my research, I asked the question, “Why do so many Americans develop pessimistic perceptions of crime in America despite what actual crime statistics show?” I believe this is a prevalent question to ask considering the widespread news coverage of police officers being involved in the shootings and killings of unarmed, often African American, teenagers. This detrimental view of crime portrayed by the media paints negative perceptions of police officers, racial groups, and crime. Such tragic incidents also justify why some people blame guns and the “lack of gun control” for the crime rate in America, sparking a conflicting battle between American citizens who strive to see more regulations regarding gun laws and those who are angered by the thought of their right to bear arms being taken away. My research suggests that the crime rate in America has been declining over the past two decades; however, the depiction of crime portrayed by the media increases negative public perceptions of crime by Americans.
For my casual argument, I plan to observe the casual relationship between the crime rate in America as well as the percentage of Americans believing crime has increased since previous years. Data obtained from the FBI and composed into the Uniform Crime Report shows that America experienced it’s highest rate of reported violent crimes in 1992 (1,932,274) but has sense been on a steady decline (in 2014, the number of reported crimes was 1,165,3838). However, A 2015 Gallup poll showed that 70% of Americans believe that the crime rate in America has increased since the year before.