Increases in U.S. Violent Crime During the 1980s Following Four American Military Actions

Abstract

During the 1980s, the United States conducted four major foreign military strikes. Across the same decade, violent crime in America rose dramatically. An increase in the rate of criminal violence greater than that of the previous year is seen to appear immediately after each of the four military episodes of the 1980s, but not at any other time. A point-biserial test of covariance indicates the relationship between the presence or absence of military actions in the 1980s and the rate of criminal violence is significant at the .01 level. The findings are held to support Archer and Gartner's contention that a legitimation of violence model provides the most credible explanation of the link between war and civil violence.