Violence problem in U.S. not seem to be going away: media

LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Violence problem in the United States doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon, reported Yahoo News on Thursday, citing experts.

Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that the country experienced its largest-ever recorded annual increase in homicides in 2020, compared to 2019. The homicide rate rose nearly 30 percent in 2020 and increased again by 5 percent in 2021, said the report, adding that violent crimes such as mass shootings and assaults have also increased since 2019.

Several experts attributed the spike in violence to three factors in interviews with Yahoo News.

They noted that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted all aspects of life, forcing nationwide lockdowns that led to increased stress and anxiety among the population. Howard Kurtz, professor of sociology and criminal justice at Southwest Oklahoma State University, was quoted as saying that as people were locked away from the outside world, violence and frustration ensued.

Experts believed that another reason for concern is the growing political polarization and distrust in U.S. institutions. Alongside this distrust is also a sense of lawlessness stemming from police violence, according to the report.

Americans' lack of trust in law enforcement, education, the government and the economy feeds social discord, Dennis Kenney, a professor at John Jay College, told the news outlet.

Guns also play a significant role in violent crime, added the report, noting that gun violence has dominated headlines in the past two years.

Violence can quickly turn into a homicide with the presence of firearms, University of California at Irvine criminology professor Charis Kubrin was quoted as saying.