Crimes Committed Against Persons in the United States
The United States is one of the world's super powers. Like any other country, it experiences the challenge of crimes committed against people too. The FBI has shown that the rate of violent crimes committed in the US has been declining for the past two decades. Violent crimes can be classified into types that include rape, murder, aggravated assault, and robbery. Statistically, the rate of crimes committed to people in 2016 decreased by 1.1% when it is compared with those reported in 2015. The rates of crimes against people vary across regions. For example, the FBI reports that in 2016, there was a positive change in the rate of 2.0% in murder cases in Northeast region and 1.2% in Midwest (Federal Bureau of Investigation). Therefore, this research paper examines the different types of crimes committed against persons in the US, their characteristics, and laws that have been established to deal with them.
Stich (32) showed that crimes against person refer to those crimes that involve harm to the human body, threat to the human body, or actions that are done contrary to one's will. They can be classified into different types that include assault, aggravated assault, harassment, hate crimes, kidnapping, stalking, murder, domestic violence, and child abuse among others. Assault is committed when an individual tries or strikes another physically or acts in a way that threatens the life of another person. Aggravated assault occurs when an individual tries or causes severe injury to a person or causes severe injury using a deadly weapon. Battery is defined at intentional or harmful touching of an individual without seeking their consent. In 2015, the rate of assault and aggravated assault in the US was 230 cases in every 100,000 people (Stevens 14)....
This was a considerable decline when compared to 240 cases per 100,000 people in 2010. The US government has enacted Assault Law that aims at providing justice to victims of assault and aggravated assault. In fact, assault is punishable by jailing the criminals to up to one year and fines. Aggravated assault is considered serious, and one is sentenced to 10 and 20 years imprisonment and or fines.
Murder is another form of crime against persons that is common in the US. It is defined as the process where an individual with sound discretion and mind takes the life of another by killing and in the process destabilizes the state of the peace in the family, community, and the state as a whole. Murder can be classified into types that include first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter. A first-degree murder occurred when taking of life was done willing fully. A second-degree murder occurs when a person takes another's life willing fully with a sound mind, however, due to the influence of factors such as self-defense. Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of another without malice. It can occur due to quarrels or in anger of passion. In 2015, the number of murder cases in the US was 15, 600. Its numbers varied considerably across the states with California leading with 1850 cases of murder in the same year. Murder is punishable US Code 111 that governs the legal measures that should be adopted when it occurs. Normally, first-degree murder is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Second-degree murder is punishable for any term of years or life sentencing. Manslaughter is punishable by life sentencing or imprisoned for a specified term (Douglas and Olshaker 55).
Sexual violence such as rape is the third form of crime against people in the US. Rape involves the engagement in sexual intercourse…
