• According to the FBI, more than 1 million violent crimes occurred in 2009.armed 3 image by Daniel Wiedemann from Fotolia.com
  
  The strength of the economy, population density, demographics and even teenage pregnancy are all factors that have an impact on crime rate. Many studies have been done to identify these factors in an effort to reduce the probability that crime will increase.
  
  

Population

• According to the FBI, population density plays a role in the rate of crime in any area. This might partially be because of the feeling of anonymity in a large city. Larger cities also offer criminals more opportunities to peddle stolen goods, making crime easier. According to a report on crime by the Cambridge, Mass., Police Department, crime rates are higher in areas where the population is more than 100,000. Close-knit cities and towns have a lower crime rate overall than areas with a more transient population, such as those with many apartments.
  
  

Divorce

• Studies done by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy have shown that children of single-parent homes are more likely to commit crimes than those of two-parent homes. Crime is also more likely in communities that have a higher percentage of fragmented homes, pointing to the conclusion that it is not only the child's home that has an impact on their lives, but also the number of two-parent homes to which they are exposed.
  
  

Poverty

• Lack of adequate funds can lead to high stress levels, which in turn can lead to theft or robbery. Impoverished areas are more likely to offer inferior or inadequate education, causing youth to depend less on their education as a means of support. It is also likely that there are fewer positive role models in these areas, leaving children with a skewed outlook on how adults should behave.
  
  

Climate

• The FBI also points to climate as one of the main factors of increased crime rates in a city. There is a higher incidence of auto theft, larceny and juvenile crime in the south, where it is warm throughout most of the year. In northern climates, an increase in crime rates are seen in the summer months, according to "Sociology and Modern Social Problems" by Charles Abram Ellwood.
  
  

Teenage Pregnancy

• It has been noted that children of very young mothers are more likely to become criminals. According to "Teenage Pregnancy and Reproductive Health" by Philip Baker, children born of teenage mothers are more likely to perform poorly in school, have disturbed psychological behavior, smoke, drink and have contact with the criminal justice system.