By China Jones Burgess
2021 Crime Rates in D.C.
Violence in D.C. has been tremendous over the past months especially affecting local youth. A total of 6,400 crimes have taken place in D.C. just within the first four months of the year 2021. We have already reached three fourths of the total of crimes in the year of 2020.
The total amount of crimes are -3% of the crimes committed all of last year. These crimes consist of homicide, sex abuse, assault with a dangerous weapon, and robbery.
The total of property crimes are -25% lower than the amount of property related crimes last year. Burglary, grand theft auto, and arson constitute these crimes. The highest percent of crimes are theft, and approximately 2,518 robberies have been committed within this year already. The percentage grows rapidly each year, gradually getting worse.
How does Violence affect physical and mental health?
Violence is known to have a traumatic effect on the human body in both physical and mental health. People who have been exposed to violence normally suffer from numerous mental health issues. Violence has a long lasting effect on the mental health issues of victims. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, and substance use disorders play a big role in mental health issues caused by violence.
These mental health issues may differ between groups depending on certain circumstances such as age. A victim of violence even can suffer from depression which can lead to suicide. When dealing with violence the health consequences vary with age and gender of the victim and also the form of violence inflicted as well.
How is this affecting the mental health of our local DC residents?
I asked our local DC residents how violence in the DC area has affected them. A Southeast DC resident said,
Growing up I was raised in a single parent household and the youngest of four. Many of my peers who I grew up with are alive raising their children, strung out on some type of drugs, incarcerated, or deceased. Trauma through violence is real, and the impact it can have on anyone can be a blessing or a curse. Getting directly to the question, violence has given me the insight and allowed me to become immune, sympathetic, and sincere. Growing up around violence has also charged me with a choice to be violent or not, which I’ve found to come in handy when defending myself against the same energy that was brought towards me. Living in the United States is violent within itself, I always thought the energy that was being commanded from the Pentagon echoed out to the streets of DC, but it’s much bigger than that. We are fed violence through music, movies, and books. These mediums lead to a bigger issue which dictates our reality and affects us deeper than what’s around us.
Another Local DC resident who serves as a DCPS teacher at a Middle School in Southwest acknowledged,
I would say my experience with community violence has been secondary in most instances. I have experienced trauma as a result of violence because the close relationships I have with my students. It feels like so many kids are carrying so much hurt because of different experiences they or even their family members have had.
But much of the community violence in DC is a result of experiences with the police. I have experienced with families I am close with the brutality of the police, especially when faced with children, mostly boys, 15 or 16 for benign things like selling water to families visiting the National Mall. They could be arrested for even being in the vicinity of a crime they didn’t even commit. That’s violence.
How is this affecting the mental health of local DC youth?
I asked the same question to DC youth. Many local youth said that violence affected them because now they have to be even more cautious when leaving their home. Some youth also said they have lost many loved ones and friends to violence. A student who is taught in DCPS said “Violence in the DC area has affected my family’s mind on the outside world. This has hindered me from going places and even enjoying my neighborhood. Taking a walk around the neighborhood could be fatal at the most.”
Another DCPS student has mentioned “unfortunately violence in the DC area is mainly around gun control and it makes me constantly fear for my life and forces me to be extra conscious about the people and things around me. Of course the violence is not going to cause me to live my life in fear, I just have to remember where I am, who I am around, and what I’m doing.”
There are many kids and young adults who are losing their parents, family, and friends to violence and no child wants to be without their parents. This is beginning to become a serious problem in the DC area in our growing future. Youth are the most important population we need to be taking care of right now and their minds are being affected in so many ways, not even just violence.
I recall someone saying in the 90’s that the city was under siege. Is the city under siege from violence now and what will we do as DC residents to defend the youth of the city from violence?
Bard Daily 