For the most part, violence has been viewed as a problem for the criminal justice system, to be handled by the police and the courts. More recently, public health strategies have been applied and investigated as a result of an increased understanding of the characteristics of violence and it’s causes. In 1984, the Centers for Disease Control established the Violence Epidemiology Branch. Now according to the Centers for Disease Control, in the United States, homicide is the 11th cause of death and the 4th leading cause of years of potential life lost. 70% of the 20,000 victims per year are male. 50% are less than age 35, and 45% are African-American men ages 15 to 24 years old, at a rate of 72.5 per 100,000 (the 2nd leading cause of death for all 15-24 years old), and for African-American men ages 25-44 years, at a rate of 123.2 per 100,000.
In its annual publication, the FBI said the rate of violent crimes by juveniles in the United States increased more than 25% in the last decade. The rate was up not only among disadvantaged 10-17 year olds in urban areas but in all races, social classes and lifestyles. It also said that 1,429 of every 100,000 African-American youths were arrested for violent crime, a rate five times that for white youths. The rate for other races was lower than either African-Americans or whites.
