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Brazil

Brazil Crime Stats

Edsel.G

Author: Edsel.G

Brazil is one of the world’s most criminalized countries in the world. For every hundred thousand Brazilians, death through homicide can happen to 22-27 individuals. This makes Brazil one of the top 20 countries with the highest homicide rates.

Violence in the country is largely blamed on the culture. Basically, when an individual is threatened, the traditional tendency is to seek a group which can act as deterrence to future aggression, or as a means to inflict injuries to others perceived to be threats. This is the reason why gangs and gang-related violence in the country is among the highest in the world. Gangs are essentially culturally and socially accepted by the general Brazilian public.

However, the biggest and most daunting challenge to the Brazilian authorities is the prevalence of drugs and drug-caused or –related crimes. History has proven that solving the drug crisis is easier said than done because of several reasons: first, Brazil is an important waypoint for the global drug market; the many rivers and coastlines of the country are perfect for drug transportation without being detected by authorities; second, many of the frontliners of the drug trade within the country are young individuals; making them less prone to arrests – and if they are arrested, they can get out of jail in three years or less making them very economical and profitable for the drug lords.

Background:

Violent crime is major area of concern for Brazil. The recent figures show that it has the highest number of murders committed by youths, at more than 20,000 committed between 1990 and 1999. Brazil also has the 5th highest rate of murders by youths per capita, with 32.5 per 100,000 of the population.  However, corruption is also a big problem, with almost 67% of business managers identifying corruption as a constraint to business.

Definitions

  • Age of criminal responsibility: The age at which a person is no longer excluded from criminal liability.  The lowest age is indicated for countries where there isn’t a single age limit, for example where different states have different regulations (such as the USA) or there is different limits for boy and girls (such as in Iran). The spectrum is specifically wide for the USA and Mexico (both 6-12 years). Several US states do not stipulate any minimal age for criminal responsibility at all. For further qualifications, exceptions and other notes, please refer to notes.
  • Believes crime increasing in the past 3 years: Crime increasing in the past 3 years. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "In the past three years would you say the level of crime in your community has increased, stayed about the same, or decreased?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
  • Crime levels: Level of crime. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "How serious you feel the level of crime is?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
  • Drugs > Annual cannabis use: Estimate of percentage of 15-64 year old population who use Cannabis.
  • Drugs > Opiates use: Annual prevalence.
  • Fear of crime > Violent hate crime: Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion. Based on 0-50 contributions for Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and 82 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria and 24 more countries and over 100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Canada and 17 more countries. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from July, 2011 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "(How worried are you about)......being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
  • Justice system > Punishment > Capital punishment (last execution year): Year of last use.
  • Murder rate: Homicide rate per year per 100,000 inhabitants in various countries.
  • Suicide rates > Suicide rate (both sexes): Suicides per 100’000 residents per year.
  • Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents: Number of privately owned small firearms per 100 residents.
  • Violent crime > Intentional homicide rate: Homicides per 100’000 residents. Homicide is the death of a person purposefully inflicted by another person (it excludes suicides) outside of a state of war. Homicide is a broader category than murder, as it also includes manslaughter. The exact legal definition varies across countries, some of which include infanticide, assisted suicide, euthanasia and deaths caused by dangerous driving.
  • Violent crime > Murder rate: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population.
  • Violent crime > Murder rate per million people: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Violent crime > Murders: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population.
  • Violent crime > Murders per million people: Intentional homicide, number and rate per 100,000 population. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
STAT AMOUNT DATE RANK HISTORY
Age of criminal responsibility 18 2014 2nd out of 58
Believes crime increasing in the past 3 years 74.9 2014 20th out of 93
Crime levels 78.04 2014 10th out of 93
Drugs > Annual cannabis use 2.6% 2005 10th out of 17
Drugs > Opiates use 0.6% 2001 4th out of 17
Fear of crime > Violent hate crime 23.57 2014 59th out of 93
Justice system > Punishment > Capital punishment (last execution year) 1,876 2014 30th out of 31
Murder rate 22 2008
Suicide rates > Suicide rate (both sexes) 4.8 2008 10th out of 19
Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents 8 2014 72nd out of 170
Violent crime > Intentional homicide rate 27 2011 12th out of 44
Violent crime > Murder rate 40,974 2010 1st out of 86
Violent crime > Murder rate per million people 209.9 2010 19th out of 86
Violent crime > Murders 40,974 2010 1st out of 86
Violent crime > Murders per million people 209.9 2010 19th out of 86

SOURCES: Wikipedia: Defense of infancy (Ages of criminal responsibility by country); crime; https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2011/World_Drug_Report_2011_ebook.pdf, World Drug Report 2011, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2011, p. 217.; Wikipedia: List of countries by prevalence of opiates use ("World Drug Report 2011" . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2011. "World Drug Report 2006" . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2006. http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2009/WDR2009_eng_web.pdf); Wikipedia: Capital punishment in Europe (Abolition); Wikipedia: List of countries by suicide rate (Suicide rates per 100,000 by country, year and sex (Table) ); Annexe I of the Small Arms Survey 2007 ; Wikipedia: List of countries by intentional homicide rate by decade; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Source tables; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.

Citation

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Brazil is one of the world’s most criminalized countries in the world. For every hundred thousand Brazilians, death through homicide can happen to 22-27 individuals. This makes Brazil one of the top 20 countries with the highest homicide rates.

Violence in the country is largely blamed on the culture. Basically, when an individual is threatened, the traditional tendency is to seek a group which can act as deterrence to future aggression, or as a means to inflict injuries to others perceived to be threats. This is the reason why gangs and gang-related violence in the country is among the highest in the world. Gangs are essentially culturally and socially accepted by the general Brazilian public.

However, the biggest and most daunting challenge to the Brazilian authorities is the prevalence of drugs and drug-caused or –related crimes. History has proven that solving the drug crisis is easier said than done because of several reasons: first, Brazil is an important waypoint for the global drug market; the many rivers and coastlines of the country are perfect for drug transportation without being detected by authorities; second, many of the frontliners of the drug trade within the country are young individuals; making them less prone to arrests – and if they are arrested, they can get out of jail in three years or less making them very economical and profitable for the drug lords.

Posted on 06 Apr 2014

Edsel.G

Edsel.G

247 Stat enthusiast

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