Alfred Blumstein

About the author: Alfred Blumstein is J. Erik Johnson University Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research in the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.

Increasing violence in the United States in the 1980s and '90s can be attributed, in part, to an increase in violent crimes committed by youths. During this period, the proliferation of handguns contributed to the increase in youth violence, and the rise of an illegal drug trade encouraged gun ownership among adolescents turning to drug trafficking during an economic depression. Shrinking illegal drug markets, an improved economy, and gun control efforts have all contributed to a recent decline in youth violence; however, these trends may reverse. The government needs to do more to prevent youth from...