US Crime Rates Compared to Other Developed Nations
This paper examines the United States crime problem in comparison to other industrialized nations, focusing on violent crime, homicide, and gun violence statistics. Drawing on FBI crime data, World Prison Brief figures, and peer-reviewed research, the paper demonstrates that the U.S. consistently outpaces comparable nations in rates of lethal violence and incarceration. The paper also addresses the argument that America has a "gun problem" rather than a broader crime problem, and ultimately rejects that distinction. A second major section explores why clear, comprehensive definitions of crime and criminal behavior are essential for political entities charged with enacting and revising criminal law.
- US Crime Rates in a Global Context: America leads developed nations in violent crime
- Gun Violence and the Gun Problem Argument: Rebutting the 'guns only' crime distinction
- Incarceration Rates and the Cost of Crime: Prison spending and population compared internationally
- Definitions of Crime and Their Importance to Lawmakers: Why crime definitions guide legislative action
- Debates Over Criminal Law and Punishment: Contested approaches to sentencing and punishment
- Conclusion: Clear definitions essential to solving crime
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Uses specific, verifiable statistics — such as firearm homicide rates per million and prison population figures — to ground comparative claims in concrete evidence.
- Engages directly with a counterargument (the "gun problem, not a crime problem" thesis) before refuting it, demonstrating basic argumentative structure.
- Connects empirical findings to a policy-relevant second section on legal definitions, showing awareness of the relationship between criminology and lawmaking.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative analysis as an argumentative method. By positioning U.S. statistics (homicide rates, incarceration rates, prison spending) against figures from the Netherlands, Australia, and Switzerland, the author builds a case through contrast rather than assertion alone. This technique is reinforced by citation of FBI data and peer-reviewed sources, lending empirical weight to the comparative claims.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into two broad argumentative sections. The first (approximately three paragraphs) establishes that the U.S. has a serious crime problem relative to peer nations, refutes the "guns only" counterargument, and uses incarceration data as additional evidence. The second section (approximately three paragraphs) pivots to a policy argument: that precise definitions of crime and criminal behavior are prerequisite to effective legislation, illustrated with examples such as juvenile mass shootings and sentencing debates.
US Crime Rates in a Global Context
The United States of America has a serious crime problem. When compared to other industrialized and advanced nations, America records the highest rates of violent crimes and property crimes. Violent crimes include murder and non-negligent manslaughter, robbery, rape, gang violence, and aggravated assault. Property crimes include larceny, burglary, arson, and motor vehicle theft. According to the 2019 Crime Statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 2019 was the third consecutive year the number of violent crimes had decreased in the United States compared to previous years (The Federal Bureau of Investigation, October 1, 2020). However, when compared to other developed nations, the United States still leads the pack.
The United States has long recorded higher rates of violent death — especially homicide — than other developed nations. The rates of gun violence are much higher in the United States than in other industrialized and advanced nations (Grinshteyn & Hemenway, 2016). The primary reason behind this elevated gun violence is that there are far more guns in the United States and far fewer strong gun laws than in comparable nations (Grinshteyn & Hemenway, 2016).
References
Barnes, N. (2017). Criminal politics: An integrated approach to the study of organized crime, politics, and violence. Perspectives on Politics, 15(4), 967–987.
Grinshteyn, E., & Hemenway, D. (2016). Violent death rates: The US compared with other high-income OECD countries, 2010. The American Journal of Medicine, 129(3), 266–273.
Przeszlowski, K. S., & Crichlow, V. J. (2018). An exploratory assessment of community-oriented policing implementation, social disorganization and crime in America. Social Sciences, 7(3), 35.
Schultze-Kraft, M., Chinchilla, F. A., & Moriconi, M. (2018). New perspectives on crime, violence and insecurity in Latin America. Crime, Law and Social Change, 69(4), 465–473.
Singal, J. (Feb. 8, 2021). America saw a historic rise in murders in 2020. Why? Intelligencer. Retrieved from https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/02/america-saw-a-historic-rise-in-murders-in-2020-why.html
The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (October 1, 2020). FBI releases 2019 crime statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/cjis-link/fbi-releases-2019-crime-statistics
World Prison Brief. (2017a). Netherlands prison population. Retrieved from https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/netherlands
World Prison Brief. (2017b). United States of America prison population. Retrieved from https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/united-states-america
Worrall, J. L. (2015). Crime control in America: What works? (3rd ed.). London, United Kingdom: Pearson Education.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.