Superpredator

For other uses, see Superpredator (disambiguation).

The superpredator or super-predator was a type of criminal in a largely debunked criminological theory that became popular in the 1990s in the United States. The superpredator theory posited that a small but significant and increasing population of impulsive (often urban) youth were willing to commit violent crimes without remorse.^[1][2] John J. DiIulio Jr., the criminologist and political scientist who came up with the idea,^[3][4] predicted a large increase in youth crime and violence due to superpredators.^[5][6] American lawmakers seized on this idea, and implemented tough-on-crime legislation for juvenile offenders across the country, including life without parole sentences.^[1]

The theory was criticized when crime significantly decreased in the following years.^[6][5] Dilulio has since retracted some of his ideas.^[1] There are many alternative explanations to the rise in crime until the 1990s and the subsequent drop. One explanation is the lead–crime hypothesis, which says that the use of leaded gasoline could have caused the high crime rates in the 1980s and 90s.^[7] Kevin Drum, an American journalist, argued that the "superpredators" that Dilulio described as impulsive, violent, and conscienceless may have actually had lead poisoning.^[8] The theory was also criticized as many people believed the theory was used to justify disproportionate sentencing of African-American children.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

A Miami University study of United States media coverage of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre suggested that it reinforced the superpredator theory, especially with "alarmist responses to erroneous fears about growing rates and severity of youth violence".^[14]: 351

References

1. Boghani, Priyanka. "They Were Sentenced as "Superpredators." Who Were They Really?". PBS Frontline. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
2. Newsweek Staff (21 January 1996). "'Superpredators' Arrive". Newsweek.
3. Templeton, Robin (1 January 1998). "Superscapegoating". FAIR. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
4. "The Coming of the Super -- Predators". 27 November 1995.
5. Leah, Rachel (2018-04-21). "The "superpredator" myth was discredited, but it continues to ruin young black lives". Salon. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
6. Vitale, Alex S. (2018-03-23). "Opinion | The New 'Superpredator' Myth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
7. Doleac, Jennifer L. (2017-06-01). "New evidence that lead exposure increases crime". Brookings. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
8. Drum, Kevin. "A very brief history of super-predators". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
9. "Op-Ed: Why America is still living with the damage done by the 'superpredator' lie". Los Angeles Times. 27 November 2020.
10. "Analysis: How the media created a 'superpredator' myth that harmed a generation of Black youth". NBC News. 20 November 2020.
11. "Why America is still living with the damage done by the 'superpredator' lie | Opinion". 2 December 2020.
12. "They Were Sentenced as "Superpredators." Who Were They Really?". PBS.
13. "How being labeled as a superpredator has impacted a generation of Black and Hispanic men". 20 April 2021.
14. Muschert, Glenn W. (October 2007). "The Columbine Victims and the Myth of the Juvenile Superpredator". Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 5 (4): 351–366. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.557.1686. doi:10.1177/1541204006296173. S2CID 31869503.