by Michael Hedges

About the author: Michael Hedges is a national reporter for the Washington Times.

Each person’s chances of being set upon by violent thugs and robbed, killed, or raped grow each year. The number of Americans altering their behavior— avoiding night activities, eschewing automated teller machines, staying away from downtown areas even if it means missing a play, ballet, or basketball game—is at an all-time high, according to behavioral experts.

Violent Crime Increases Each Decade

Some statistics, such as the murder rate in Washington, D.C., bear out the apprehension with which people face the world. The brutality of crime increases almost exponentially each decade, so that what once horrified us we now accept as sadly routine.

“The climate is changing,” says Dennis Martin, a former police chief who is president of the...