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The United States has surpassed every other nation in violent crimes. As such, the rampage of violence perpetrated against people in all segments of American society has become a dominant force in contemporary life. In planning when and where people travel, how they transact their business, and the various other activities of life the potential exposure to the threat of violence must be realistically considered.
According to public opinion polls, two out of every five Americans living in large cities are afraid to leave their homes at night. The problem is especially acute in the inner city. For example, homicide has significantly increased in black and Hispanic neighborhoods. It is the leading cause of death today among black men and women ages 15-34; a 34% increase since 1984.
The elderly are perhaps the most fearful. Many go hungry rather than chance an assault on city streets on their way to the market. A few summers ago, Chicago witnessed a tragic demonstration of the fear of violence by the elderly. During the unusually torrid weather, over 300 elderly people died within a couple of days time because of complications due to the inclement weather. Investigators found that although many of these elderly were too poor to have air conditioned apartments, they refused to open their windows even in the intense daytime heat: struggling to try to breath rather than chance the invasion of their living space by an armed intruder.
Similarly, many of our children face violence each day of their lives. They are aware of monsters who have killed their classmates with drugs,