Violent crime can be defined as a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force on the victim. In the United States, violent crime is still prevalent, although it has declined over the years. Examples of violent crimes include theft, assault, murder or rape. Although violent crime is decreasing across the country, the amount varies from city to city. This is a major social issue that needs to be highlighted as it has negative effects on society. If awareness of violent crime increases, fewer violent crimes will occur. But more importantly, people need to know an explanation for these violent crimes. Phoenix, Arizona is a city with violent crime. There is an article that explains the impact of Phoenix's urbanization and warming on the city. University of Phoenix professor Craig Anderson has studied the relationship between temperature and crime in Phoenix. “High temperatures increase irritability and aggression in controlled laboratory experiments and numerous studies have shown positive correlations between temperature and violent crime” (Baker 6). Anderson used crime statistics from 50 U.S. cities and estimated that violent crime increased by 0.45 percent for every 1 degree Fahrenheit increase in annual temperature. Hot weather explains why violent crimes are more common than others. The warmer it is, the more people there are outside, which increases the risk of violent crime. Another article that provides an explanation for violent crime exists in Phoenix and discusses the relationship between schools and crime. Dale Willits, Lisa Broidy and Kristine Denman conducted a study in Arizona schools to see if there was a link between schools and neighborhood crime rates... middle of paper ...... protection ? Journal of Community Psychology. 2009.Web. April 14, 2014. Kelly, John. “Is three shots really a deterrent? A statistical analysis of its impact”. The Clute Institute. 2004. Internet. April 14, 2014. Knowles, David. "Los Angeles' crime rate is falling for the tenth year in a row, making it the safest big city in America, but cell phone thefts are up sharply." NyDailyNews. January 8, 2013. Web. April 14, 2014. Perry, January. “Making Our Money Talk – Divesting from the Assault Weapons Industry is a Big Step Forward.” HuffPost Los Angeles. February 6, 2013.Web. April 14, 2014. Voisin, Dexter R. “African American Adolescents Living and Facing Community Violence on the South Side of Chicago.” Sage Publications. June 28, 2011. the web. April 14, 2014. Willits, Dale. “Schools, neighborhood risk factors, and crime.” Sage Publications. February 25, 2013. Web. April 14 2014.