Steven Briggs - Criminology For Dummies

Robbery is essentially theft by force. Stealing a woman’s purse from her closet is theft. Knocking her down and taking her purse directly off her shoulder is robbery. Unlike theft and burglary, which are both considered property crimes, robbery is considered a violent crime and is usually punished more severely because it involves a risk to the personal safety of the victim (see Chapter 6for more on theft, burglary, and other property crimes).

The amount of punishment doled out for robbery generally depends on whether a weapon is used and, if so, the type of weapon used. Here are the basic distinctions among weapons:

Deadly weapons: In most states, using a firearm during the commission of a robbery results in the most severe sentences. Using other weapons capable of causing death (called deadly weapons ) may also result in severe punishment.Armed robbery, for example, may result in a sentence of 1 to 10 years in state prison. Although most violent crimes are handled in state court, bank robbery is commonly prosecuted in the federal system, where sentences can reach 20 years in prison if the robber was armed.

Dangerous weapons: This category of weapons includes those that can cause significant injury, such as clubs, fists, and stun guns. Using a dangerous weapon during a robbery may result in a more severe sentence than a robbery without a weapon.

Pretend weapons: Of course, I can’t neglect to mention the robber with his hand in his pocket, pretending to have a gun. In many states, even pretending to possess a weapon may result in an enhanced sentence.

Many robberies happen to people in vehicles. For instance, carjacking is when a robber forces a person out of his car and then takes the car, perhaps also taking the driver’s personal possessions. Also, far more common than bank robberies are robberies of convenience stores and homes, perhaps because bank robberies are often prosecuted in federal court, where sentences can be much longer (see Chapter 17for a discussion of federal crime enforcement).

Unlike most other violent crimes, which peak during summer months, more robberies occur during the colder months. Some criminologists theorize that the reason behind this trend is the increased darkness in the colder months, which helps to conceal the crime. Also, wearing a mask and hat to cover your appearance without raising suspicions is much easier to do in the winter.

Robberies of drug dealers are extremely common (known as a drug rip), but few of these cases show up in statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Obviously, drug dealers aren’t likely to report being victimized, which is precisely what makes them such appealing targets to robbers.

When you hear the word kidnapping, you likely think of the taking and holding of a person against her will for ransom purposes. Early in the 20th century, kidnappings of public or wealthy citizens happened regularly. The most famous case may have been the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s infant son from his bedroom.

Other well-known cases include the kidnappings of the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in California and of the 9-year-old son of lumberman J. P. Weyerhaeuser from Tacoma, Washington.

These days, however, kidnapping for ransom is relatively rare in the United States. Much more common than kidnapping for ransom is kidnapping in conjunction with another crime. For example, in a rape case, if a person is transported or confined against her will, a prosecutor may charge the offender with both rape and kidnapping.

Recently, the United States is seeing cases where Mexican kidnappers snatch family members of other Mexicans who are in the country illegally and hold them for ransom. Kidnappers view this action as a low-risk crime because the victims aren’t likely to contact police for fear of being deported.

Because kidnapping is relatively rare in the United States, the FBI doesn’t gather statistics on the number of kidnappings that occur.

Sentences for kidnapping are often similar to those for other violent crimes, such as robbery, rape, or aggravated assault.

Here’s a sampling of violent crime rates in the United States:

Homicide: According to Uniform Crime Report statistics from the FBI, the homicide rate in the United States rose steadily from 1965 to 1980, when it peaked at more than 10 homicides per 100,000 persons. The rate remained relatively high until it began to decline in 1993. The rate was roughly cut in half by 1999, where it has since stabilized. In 2019, the rate was 5.0 homicides for every 100,000 persons. (Preliminary statistics for 2020 show a significant increase in homicides and will bear watching.)

Assault and battery: According to the National Crime Victimization Study (NCVS), the number of assaults and batteries in the United States peaked at about 16 aggravated assaults and 50 simple assaults for every 1,000 persons around 1993 and dropped until 2015, when there were 3 aggravated assaults per 1,000 persons. Since then, assaults have risen. In 2019, there were 3.7 aggravated assaults and 13.7 simple assaults per 1,000.

Rape and other sexual assault: According to the 2019 NCVS, there were over 459,000 rapes and sexual assaults that year — roughly 1.7 incidents per 1,000 persons. The level has slowly risen since 2011, when it reached a low of .9 incidents per 1,000.

Robbery: The number of robberies has been declining in the United States since 1993, according to the NCVS, when there were more than 1.7 million. In 2019, there were 534,421.

Why does a man strangle his spouse? Why does a woman shake her infant son until he dies? Why does a street gang member unload a clip into the home of a rival gang member?

Although the specific reasons why people commit crimes of violence vary from case to case, criminologists study potential underlying causes with the hope that they may be able to reduce the amount of violence in society. Keep in mind that these studies aren’t just academic exercises; policymakers base significant policy decisions on the conclusions that criminologists make from their studies. For example, does lengthening prison sentences deter some violent offenders from committing crimes? The answer to that question can lead to changes in the way judges hand down sentences. And do early family-intervention programs for juvenile delinquents help turn juveniles away from violent crime? The answer to that question can influence how much government money is or isn’t funneled into such prevention programs.

There are at least five key factors that may play a part in someone’s decision to engage in violence. I discuss these five factors in this section:

Drugs and alcohol

Family troubles

Mental illness

Society

Personal choices

Are you ready for a shocking statistic? More than half of all persons arrested have illegal drugs in their systems, and roughly 25 percent of offenders in prison reported being under the influence of drugs when they committed their offense.

And alcohol isn’t better. In 2016, 28 percent of all traffic deaths (10,497) were cause by drivers under the influence. A year 2000 study showed that in roughly 40 percent of homicides and assaults, the offender had been drinking.