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[reACTIONary]

4. Not likely... This is a long term trend...

Last edited Sat Nov 24, 2012, 12:46 AM - Edit history (2)

... I don't have the numbers close to hand, but crime in general, and violent crime have been on a downward trend for a long, long time.

Explanations vary, and of course anyone who has a pet theory wants to take credit, but the most interesting theory I have heard is that it is due to the control of environmental lead.

Lead poisoning has some pretty well understood developmental effects that increase impulsivity, reactivity and other traits that strongly correlate with criminal behavior. Epidemiological studies have found a strong correlation between decreasing environmental lead and decreasing crime rate.

Here is an article about this explanation:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/07/AR2007070701073.html

Some epidemiological research:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527201839.htm