Answer: Americans who lived through the 1960s and 1970s remember the fear associated with a real surge in violent crime. In fact, the violent crime rate increased by 126 percent between 1960 and 1970, and by 64 percent between 1970 and 1980. That increase was already in the pipeline due to increased drug use. Young people commit more crime and demographically there was an explosion with the baby boomers reaching their teenage and adult years for the first time. So, a large population of young people likely led to significant increases.
