Race and crime

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Research into the relationship between race and crime has grown exponentially in recent years. ^[1]More specifically, the research delves into the potential cause and effects of racial disparities in crime. This includes but is not limited to, disadvantages and inequality (racially, socially and economically), disparities in education, employment/unemployment, poverty, social status, and social/familial structure. Also of notable interest, is the role of exposure in childhood to violent behavior, another potential cause of racial disparities in crime.

Research conducted in Europe and the United States on the matter has been widely published, particularly in relation to discrimination by criminal justice systems. However, there is also a wide variety of research that branches off from this topic of discrimination by the criminal justice system. It has been argued that evidence for discrimination by the criminal justice system (and racial disparities occurring as a result) are potentially overinterpreted and lacking supportive evidence.^[2] Therefore, it is important to consider other potential aspects of race as a correlate of crime and the multitude of potential causes and effects incorporated.

There is a common assumption and belief that criminal adjudication within the criminal justice system is biased, whereupon ethnicity, race and class not only predict but foreshadows criminal adjudication outcomes. More specifically, this prediction is attributed to the concern that racial minorities (African American, Latinos, Etc.) and impoverished or poverty-stricken defendants tend to receive harsher adjudication sentences compared to Whites, Asians and wealthier or more affluent defendants. However, while results have varied, the overall conclusion suggests that biases in the criminal justice system based off race and class cannot reliably be detected. One aspect to consider when examining research about potential biases and discrimination within the Criminal Justice System is the researcher’s possible expectancy effects, citation bias, negativity bias and an over interpretation of statistical noise.^[3]

Research suggests that police practices, such as racial profiling, over-policing in areas populated by minorities and in-group bias may result in disproportionately high numbers of racial minorities among crime suspects in Sweden, Italy, and England and Wales. According to the Racial Disparity Audit conducted by the United Kingdom Prime Minister, in 2017 minorities living in Wales and England were more than 3.5 times more likely to be arrested than whites. Likewise, this same group was far more likely to be the victims of crime with their white counterparts only having 15 percent likelihood.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][excessive citations]} Research also suggests that there may be possible discrimination by the judicial system, which contributes to a higher number of convictions for racial minorities in Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Denmark and France.^{[5][7][8][10][11][12][13][excessive citations]}

Research suggests that police practices, such as racial profiling, over-policing in areas populated by minorities and in-group bias may result in disproportionately high numbers of racial minorities among crime suspects.^{[14][15][16][17][excessive citations]} Also, there may be possible discrimination by the judicial system, which contributes to a higher number of convictions for racial minorities.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][excessive citations]} Recent research in 2024 shows that racial inequality in the U.S. criminal justice system is caused by more than just individual bias. Sociologist Hedwig Lee explains that racism is built into the system itself through patterns and policies that treat some groups as less valued, appear fair on the surface, and overlook the impact of history. These factors work together to keep racial gaps in policing, courts, and prisons in place over time.^[26] On average, white offenders are less likely to be arrested for their crime than non-white offenders. ^[27] Studies show that prosecutors are more likely to charge people that are a part of marginalized groups with more severe sentences when compared to white people.^[28]

Racial disparities and/or racial inequality, resulting in increased disadvantages and imbalances that not only affect but overshadow the treatment of racial groups (such as racial minorities), has often been theorized to be a factor in the manifestation and explanation of crime.^[29] More specifically, the aspect that economic deprivation and economic hardships influenced the disparity in crime rates between Whites, Blacks and other racial minorities.^[29] Overall, a wide variety of explanations and research have focused on the effects of inequality (socially, economically, educationally), poverty and unemployment, structural disadvantages, insufficient and/or inadequate economic resources, and social segregation and isolation.^[30]

Early research into the effects of interracial economic inequality, economic hardships, economic deprivation and factors such as poverty and unemployment have contributed to a variety of theories, theses and dissertations. This includes, but is not limited to, the deprivation thesis, macrostructural theory of intergroup relations, interracial economic inequality thesis and the macrosocial theory of social structure.^[29]

When considering the research and studies that have been focused on the statistical rates and notable differences between race and crime, it is important to understand possible underlying issues, assumptions and/or biases that may occur. For example, previous studies have attempted to obtain statistical rates by disaggregating crime rates and/or employing rate specific crime rates.^[29] However, this was shown to result in an overrepresentation of specific racial groups such as blacks and other racial minorities (including both delinquents and adults).^[29][31] Other prior (and even current) studies have also utilized data such as victimization data, homicide data, and violent crimes.^[29] However, some of these approaches had limitations, resulting in overrepresentation or incorrect assumptions. Possible limitations to consider are the utilization of only one measurement of discrimination and/or race-crime statistics, the omission of information or facts, and relying on and/or examining subsets and overtly broad information and data sets.^[32]

In a graph published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the overall detention rate for juveniles has gone down since the 1990s; however, the rate of detention for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous youth is still shown as significantly higher compared to white youth.^[33] In an additional graph published by the OJJDP, the rate of youth arrest rates shows similar results, with Black and Indigenous youth one again facing higher rates than white youth.^[34]

Currently, one of the tools utilized is the NIBRS database which has assisted with obtaining a more accurate analysis. This was due to an increase in variety and improved measure off crime.^[29] However, conflicting research and findings have bought to light a multitude of potential limitations to the available documentation, records and data that is available for use in race-crime specific data. Interpretation of these studies and research conducted have resulted in a variety of narratives and/or outcomes due to mixed results, a lack of studies for racial groups such as Asians, and even aspects such as expectancy effects and biases (such as negativity bias).^[2]

• Crime in the United States
• Immigration and crime
• Incarceration in the United States
• Race and crime in the United States
• Race and inequality in the United States
• Racial profiling
• Racism in the United States
• Hate crime
• Decarceration in the United States
• Electronic monitoring in the United States
• Statistical correlations of criminal behaviour
• Sex differences in crime

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