Violence and the Urban Crisis

A significant part of the study by the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence was addressed to the problem of violence and the urban crisis. While' this article in cludes a discussion of the emotional aspects of violence, acknowl edging that one root of violence is the "infant" in all of us, a creature of emotion and not of reason, it recognizes that environ mental factors are of considerable importance and reviews vari ous aspects of the urban environment, including the rate and characteristics of violent crime in the cities. Particular aspects of today's environment are discussed: the population explosion, a more widespread awareness of world affairs, the threat of nu clear war, and the frustration resulting from the increasing in ability of systems of government to respond to the needs of all the people. The article concludes with specific suggestions for coping with violence and the urban crisis on the national, state, and local levels, on the neighborhood level, at the organizational- institutional level, and on the personal level.