Crime in the Black Community

Crime in the Black Community

A Literature Review that analyzes Crime in the Black Community
Quamiyah Williams
Hampton University

Crime in the Black Community

Abstract

Crime in the Black Community is an issue that has plagued many Americans and been
the topic amongst many experts. It is seen in many peoples eyes as something that is detrimental
to the young minds of the generations to come and a problem that needs to be handled
accordingly. This literature review will inform its readers about the many aspects that contribute
to crime in these communities and give them insight as to why crime in the black community is
so prevalent. A survey and online articles will help aide in getting questions answered and
examining the root of this societal problem.

Crime in the Black Community

Crime. An illegal, unlawful act, and punishable by law but still somehow prevalent in the
Black Community. Crime is like a tree, it is rooted and watered and then sprouts into something
much larger than you could ever imagine, but one can only see the surface and cannot see the
roots of the tree unless they dig deep. When many people look at crime in the Black community,
the root of these crimes are often not found because no one is willing to dig deep enough. When
the crime rate in Black communities are analyzed, many are plagued with questions and even
some possible solutions. What is not often recognized is the root of the societal problem. Most of
the focus is being put on the crime itself, which is not bad but in order to solve an issue the cause
needs to be found and we need to eliminate it from that root. In order to find the root of the
problem, many questions must first be considered:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Why is crime so prevalent in the black community?

Why is crime sometimes socially acceptable in the black community?
Does the rate of crimes committed have any correlation with how a person grew up?
Are children who grew up without parents in the home more susceptible to becoming
criminals?

This following literature review will analyze the Crime in Black Community in aspects that
will help the audience to understand crime, not just as it is prevalent in many Black Communities
but why this is the case. In order to do so, a series of research will be presented, both primary
and secondary including a survey of one of my research questions. This survey where will
consist of African American people who will be asked the research questions mentioned above.

Why is crime so prevalent in the Black Community?

Crime in the Black Community

Many people are ignorant to what happens in the black community, and many times it is
not their own fault because they just dont understand. Growing up in predominantly black
communities seems to be a very unique experience because it opens peoples eyes to a variety of
different things. People blame a plethora of different aspects on why crime in the black
community is so common, many of them have different perceptions. The crime in the black
community starts with the problems in the black community, more specifically poverty. In an
article written by Robert A. Wicks (2006), There is a substantial poverty among blacks,
poverty is what drives some of these crimes. In a survey, Black Crime, 19 individuals were asked
to share their perceptions of crime in the black community and when asked why crime is so
prevalent in the black community, a number of different perspectives were included. Some had
the opinion that crime was so prevalent because "they don't see it as crime, they see it as a way of
life, survival" and others believed that "Crime in the Black community is prevalent due to the
lack of a competitive education, a lack of community programs, lack of viable resources (within
and outside of their communities) and opportunities."
Why is crime sometimes socially acceptable in the Black Community?
There are many mixed feelings in regards to this question but when we look closely at
crime in the black community, many people can sometimes see the social acceptability of crime
in these communities. Of course, people all have this common belief that crime is wrong but
criminals are big brothers and big sisters of young people, and this is where the problem arises.
These criminals become role models for the younger generation, they glorify and idolize the
things that they do which in turn creates more criminals. Crime will never go down if these are
the individuals that young black children look up to. When crime is glamorized, it is accepted as
something that is cool, and there is where the problem arises. The glamorization of something

Crime in the Black Community

that should otherwise be seen as negative will do nothing to improve crime and do everything to
promote it. This is where parents should be begin to teach their young boys and girls right and
from wrong and not to follow what everything that the people around them may consider to be
cool. In the Crime in the Black community survey, there were an array of different views on this
topic and while they were 19 people, 9 of them agreed that crime was socially acceptable. When
asked to elaborate on their choice, one individual said I think crime in the black communities is
sometimes socially acceptable due to the fact that it happens so often so then people become
accustomed to it, in the crime in the black crime survey, the question was asked to a group of 19
participants, 80% percent of which are from predominantly black neighborhoods and 20% who
are not, but none the less have the same ethnic background. The results indicated that 53%
percent do not believe that crime is socially acceptable and 47% do (see Figure 1): Figure 1. A
chart depicting survey responses to the question, Do you think Crime is sometimes socially
acceptable in the Black Community?

Do you think Crime sometimes socially acceptable in the Black Community?

Yes

10; 53%

9; 47%

No

This is the case for both large and small crimes, carrying a gun without a permit, against
the law but nonetheless readily accepted by the person carrying the gun and most likely their

Crime in the Black Community

peers. When asked to provide their reasoning for saying yes, one individual stated Yes, if it's the
person's peers with whom they are engaging in such criminality., and another who said A lot of
times in the black community there are certain levels of "struggle" that a family or even if one
doesn't have family around, they tend to do "what they have to do" in order to get by. Although
crime should never be socially acceptable, black people are put in certain circumstances out of
their control.
Does the rate of crimes committed have any correlation with how a person grew up?
Many aspects of a person can come from their childhood; their personality, their morals,
their views and when looking at crime in the black community, the question of if childhood has
anything to do with the rates of crime is a tricky one. Growing up in particular circumstances can
have drastic effects or little to no effect on a person. In the Black Crime survey, a group of
people were asked what their take was in the matter, the results indicated that 32% of these
individuals believe that crime has nothing to do with how a person grew up and 68% percent
believe that it does. These individuals had the option to either answer yes or no, and if answered
yes, they were allowed the option to elaborate on their choice. In the response section,
individuals had a variety of responses, one individual brought up the quote that it takes a village
to raise a child, the person says In my opinion, "it takes a village", but if this "village" consists
of drug dealers, gun violence, domestic violence, robbery, etc., then this village can either make
or break a child's view/mindset on how they should handle themselves in a world full of
impurities, injustice, and inequalities. Another individual said Nurture. Some individuals are
brought up in abusive environments and are exposed to events and people that have detrimental
impacts on their development and ultimately their understanding of what possible roles to take
up in society, this is where another question arises Is abuse a contributing factor of crime in the

Crime in the Black Community

Black Community? In an article written by Les Picker (2016), which looks at the book Does
Child Abuse Cause Crime? (NBER Working Paper No. 12171), authors Janet Currie and Erdal
Tekin found that The authors find that child maltreatment roughly doubles the probability that
an individual engages in many types of crime. This is true even if we compare twins, one of
whom was maltreated when the other one was not.
Are children who grew up without parents in the home more susceptible to becoming
criminals?
Parents, the first teachers and role models and the people that can either create another
good Samaritan or menace to society. In the above mentioned article by Robert A. Wicks (2006),
he states that There are serious problems with crime, and single parenthood is a problem which
contributes to the first two. The absence of parents in the home is a factor that can contribute
heavily to the outcome of a child. While this is not always the case, single parent homes can be
an impact that steers an individual in the wrong direction. Many individuals living in single
parent households are low income, according to Paul R. Amato of futureofchildren.org (2005),
"most children living with single parents are economically disadvantaged... many live in
rundown neighborhoods with high crime rates, low-quality schools, and few community
services. In the Black Crime survey, though many people did not agree with this question, the
people who did give there take on the question, I do believe that an individual who grew up
without one or both parents is more susceptible to being in crime, because normally those are the
children who struggle more. Not only struggling financially, but also emotionally as well as
mentally This results in rebellion from being hurt and feeling like your missing a piece of
yourself so you try and find it in the streets or in people who have no guidance just as much as
you without parents. Birds of a feather flock together.

Crime in the Black Community

Conclusion
Crime in the Black Community has been a problem that society has been trying to fix for
many years and will continue to try in the years to come. Different views are given in this matter,
but what is a commonality is that there is a root to the problem that is within these communities
that need to be searched for and executed. Future research and analyzation of these issues needs
to continue so that in the end, Crime in the Black Community will be few and far between.

Crime in the Black Community

References
Does Child Abuse Cause Crime? (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
http://www.nber.org/digest/jan07/w12171.html
Problems in the Black Community - LewRockwell LewRockwell.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April
01, 2016, from https://www.lewrockwell.com/2006/08/robert-a-wicks/problems-in-the-blackcommunity/
The Future of Children, Princeton - Brookings: Providing research and analysis to promote
effective policies and programs for children. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
http://www.futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=37