Stranger Violence: Perspectives, Issues, and Problems

CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES.** Due to rounding percentages may not add up to 100.0%6.13.3% in 1980, they increased to 17.6% in 1984.By 1985, murders involving strangers had again declined to 14.5%.Murders involving family members decreased from 27.2% to 16.9% from 1975 to 1981, increased to 18.7% in 1982, and decreased to 17.3% in 1985.Homicides involving friends and acquaintances decreased from 54.4% in 1976 to 34.8% in 1980 and increased to 41.3% in 1985.Nationwide, victim/offender relationships in which the relationship was unknown increased from 27.0% in 1977 to 35.8% in 1980, but declined to 25.8% in 1984.Although homicides involving family and friends and acquaintance homicides reported by the SHR may be valid, the available research suggests that the SHR substantially underreports the incidence of stranger murder and nonnegligent manslaughter.Zahn and Riedel examined the extent of this underreporting by comparing SHR frequencies to the frequencies of a number of variables recorded by the police departments of seven cities: Philadelphia, Newark, St. Louis, Memphis, Dallas, Oakland, and Ashton.