Brazil Crime Stats
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:
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.
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
Brazil Crime Profiles (Subcategories)
| Drugs 4 | Punishment 6 |
| Fear of crime 9 | Suicide rates 3 |
| Perceived problems 4 | United States extradition treaties 3 |
| Prisoners 5 | Violent crime 6 |
- Brazil ranked second for prisoners amongst Christian countries in 2002.
- Brazil has had the highest violent crime > murder rate since 2004.
- Brazil has had the highest violent crime > murders since 2004.
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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
247 Stat enthusiast
