Final answer:
Crime rates, particularly for violent and gun-related crimes, have declined since the 1990s, contrary to public perception. Various factors, including demographic changes and higher education levels, have been suggested to explain this trend, while mass incarceration shows limited correlation to overall crime reduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Despite popular belief that crime is rising, crime rates, especially for violent and gun-related crimes, have been on a steady decline since the peak in the early 1990s. Surveys indicate a public perception at odds with this reality, as many believe crime has worsened. What's more, the reduction in crime is not unique to the United States; other countries, like Canada, which do not employ mass incarceration strategies, have also seen falling crime rates. Several theories have been proposed to explain this trend, such as demographic changes like the aging of the post-war baby boom generation and no clear correlation between high incarceration rates and crime reduction.
Some argue that 'getting tough on crime' has resulted in the drop in crime rates since the 1980s. However, research corroborates that only the imprisonment of the most dangerous offenders significantly impacts certain types of crime rates, with lesser crimes having minimal effect. Furthermore, demographic statistics show a strong link between higher education levels and lower crime rates.
Despite these findings, media portrayal and lack of awareness continue to fuel the public's fear of crime, which does not align with the actual decline depicted in criminal statistics. Experts emphasize the need to reconcile public fear with these factual trends and to understand the complex relationship between demographics, education, and crime occurrence.