Citation

Winsberg MD. J. Crim. Justice 1993; 21(5): 517-520.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0047-2352(93)90036-M

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Rates of crime rise and fall over time. It is generally assumed that these fluctuations are largely the result of local and not national factors. This study examined the fluctuation of violent and property crime rates of all 50 states in the United States and the District of Columbia individually for the period 1971 through 1991, comparing these rates with mean rates of violent and property crime for the nation as a whole during the same period. It was found that a majority of states experienced equivalent fluctuations in their violent crime rates over time, even though some had far higher annual rates than others. This was even truer for property crime. No explanation could be offered for these similarities over time among states so socioeconomically dissimilar.