What the public believes isn’t always what’s really happening.
In D.C., for instance, data shows crime is trending downward compared to its peak last year. Yet 65% of District residents are more worried about crime now than they were a year ago according to a recent poll by the Washington Post, showing two-thirds of residents believe crime is an “extremely serious” or a “very serious” problem in the District. Nationally, we’ve also seen how two sides of the country are experiencing vastly different realities. Whether you’re on the East coast or the West coast, a Democrat or a Republican, or live in a rural or metropolitan area, you likely will either think the country needs to be made great again, or that it has the potential to be great for the first time.
How is this possible? If crime is truly decreasing, then why do people still feel so unsafe? If we are all living in the same country, how are our perceptions of this country so…unique?
The reality is America has a perception problem, and there are likely many factors that could explain this ‘perception paradox.’ It involves examining the role of media in shaping public opinion, the impact of social media in a misinformation era, and a mix of personal and psychological factors that shape our individual perceptions. At first glance, this may not seem like an urgent issue. But the concept of feelings over facts marks the start of a dangerous and slippery slope.
In the legislative world, we often hear first; from the loudest and most passionate advocates on any given topic. As legislative staff, it is our job is to draft and analyze legislation based on how important the issue is to our constituents, how much it may impact or harm the community, and the urgency of the problem. The challenge then becomes who we listen to. Whose voice do we follow on this months-long journey to craft a bill? Is it the voice whispering crime is going down or the one screaming they feel scared to walk alone to the grocery store?
Naturally, many legislators listen to whoever’s voice is louder and more concise amongst the jumble of conflicting discourse. In this case, the public’s perception of fear and crime “won.” Fear has influenced policy decisions over the last few years in almost every major city and jurisdiction as lawmakers across the country make disturbing calls for punitive legislation.
We’ve seen states like Louisiana, Tennessee, and Oregon recently enact legislation that either sharply contradicts severely rolls back criminal justice reform from years prior. In Chicago, we watched a mayoral primary — in which “tough-on-crime” candidate Paul Vallas beat liberal incumbent Lori Lightfoot — highlighting the city’s shift in public attitudes toward crime. Here in the District, a historically liberal city, we saw the recent passage of Secure D.C., a punitiveleaning piece of legislation met with plenty of controversy.
All of this political movement speaks to an uncomfortable theme here in America: evidence based initiatives are no match for people’s perceptions. So even when crime rates are down, if people still feel unsafe in their communities, the perception of that fear will override everything.
When it comes to youth in the District, it becomes increasingly clear our perceptions shape how we think about, interact with, and support young people. Fear enforces the narrative that restorative justice does not work and fulfills the normative expectation that locking people up, swiftly and for long periods, is the only way to ‘fight back’ against criminal behavior, despite large amounts of data and research pointing toward the opposite. Almost 70% of District residents favor legislation that would create harsher punishments for teens who commit violent crimes, according to the Washington Post. Yet as a policy advisor, I can’t count how many times I’ve heard directly from youth that what they need the most is support, both behaviorally and with mental health and substance use. This is a clear disconnect.
By funding and facilitating intergenerational programs, (programs that promote shared learning among similar age groups and across generations), we can create opportunities for social connection among both our youth and adults. We can reduce prejudices and biases when members of different groups can meet on equal footing. We must start shifting our perspectives and checking our prejudices towards our youth. Our youth are desperately seek support from us.
In a world where fear divides, let’s build communities where understanding replaces fear, and connection replaces correction.
Anaiah Mitchell is a native Washingtonian, legislative policy advisor and social worker in the District.
