Exercise 1

Go to the Bureau of Justice Statistics home page (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/) and select the link to “Homicide Trends” (it is under “Special Topics”). Select the link to “Demographic trends by: Age, Gender and Race.” Scroll down and read the statistics regarding homicide victimization by age, gender, and race (you will have to hit the back button to click on each subheading). After reading these statistics, answer the following questions:

1. Members of what age group are most at risk for being victims of homicide?



2. Which group had the lowest homicide rate in 2000: black females, age 25+, or white males, 18–24?
   
   Now scroll down to read the statistics regarding homicide offenders.



3. Was there a period of time during which homicide offending peaked for all groups, regardless of age, race, or sex?



4. What age group was involved in the fewest homicide offenses in 2000? [Hint: use the data from all four tables to arrive at the answer.]

Exercise 2

Sometimes an activity is labeled deviant or criminal by the dominant culture, but those who engage in the activity do not accept that label. Visit the Art Crimes Web site at graffiti.org (http://www.graffiti.org). Under “Information & Resources,” click on the link to “Interviews & Articles.” Select and read three interviews and two articles that describe graffiti art and “writers”; then answer the following questions:

1. How do these artists draw distinctions between their art and “graffiti”? Why is this distinction important to them?



2. How do these artists describe the graffiti life and subculture?



3. How does one become involved in this deviant subculture?



4. What terms do graffiti artists use to describe their culture?