Pew Research: "Gun Homicide Rate Down 49% Since 1993 Peak; Public Unaware"

Pew Research has this to say about the explosion in gun related crime in the US:

Compared with 1993, the peak of U.S. gun homicides, the firearm homicide rate was 49% lower in 2010, and there were fewer deaths, even though the nation’s population grew. The victimization rate for other violent crimes with a firearm— assaults, robberies and sex crimes— was 75% lower in 2011 than in 1993. Violent non-fatal crime victimization overall (with or without a firearm) also is down markedly (72%) over two decades...

Despite national attention to the issue of firearm violence, most Americans are unaware that gun crime is lower today than it was two decades ago. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, today 56% of Americans believe gun crime is higher than 20 years ago and only 12% think it is lower.

In other words, gun-related violence has collapsed while most people think it is going up.

So, what is the reason for the wild mis-perception? One might wonder if it has something to do with how the daily news is presented, although crime accounts for a smaller share of reporting than it did years ago.

For the Pew report, clik here.