# Superpredator

The superpredator or super-predator is a type of criminal in a now-debunked criminological theory that became popular in the 1990s in the United States, which posited that a small but significant and increasing population of impulsive (often urban) youth were willing to commit violent crimes without remorse. Criminologist and political scientist John J. DiIulio Jr., theorized that superpredators were a growing phenomenon and predicted a large increase in youth crime and violence as a result. The idea of superpredators contributed to a moral panic about juvenile crime. Proponents warned of "a blood bath of violence" or "Lord of the Flies on a massive scale". American lawmakers seized on this idea, and implemented tough-on-crime legislation for juvenile offenders across the country, including life without parole sentences.

## Criticisms

John Dilulio coined the term for a cover story to convey an increase in violence among juveniles to convey the insufficiency of the juvenile justice system. The theory was criticized when crime significantly decreased in the following years. Dilulio has since disavowed the theory. There are many alternative explanations to the rise in crime until the 1990s and the subsequent drop. One explanation, supported by American journalist Kevin Drum, is the lead–crime hypothesis, which says that the use of leaded gasoline could have caused the high crime rates in the 1980s and 90s. However, current research suggests lead's impact on crime was highly over-estimated by earlier studies. The superpredator theory was also criticized as many people believed the theory was used to justify disproportionate sentencing of African-American children. A Miami University study of United States media coverage of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre suggested that it reinforced the superpredator theory, especially with "alarmist responses to erroneous fears about growing rates and severity of youth violence".$^{:351}$
The arguments of proponents were eventually revealed to involve multiple errors in logic. Other errors also occurred, such as one case where the wrong number was used in a calculation; the number of chronic offenders in a study was replaced with the much larger number for all police contacts, substantially inflating the predicted crime rate.
J.C. Howell wrote that superpredators were "the most damaging and erroneous myth propagated in the 100-year history of the juvenile justice system in the United States". Other sources have also referred to the superpredator label as a myth since it has been debunked and shown how the predictions were wrong and instead installed public fear.

## History

America’s politics has pursued a tough-on-crime approach through the policies they have created, rising significantly in the 1970s. The motivation for such policies was to reduce crime by criminalizing individuals with harsher sentences to keep them in prison and off the streets where there was potential to commit crimes. The harsher sentences made it more difficult to challenge a wrongful conviction, giving birth to the ideal conditions to attack minorities disproportionately.
A prime example of this mentality was The War on Drugs during the Ronald Reagan Administration. The presence of crack cocaine in the inner city led to an increase in crime in the 1980s as drug offenses rocketed with murder and non-negligent manslaughter right behind. Particularly, crack cocaine hit African American communities the hardest, destroying their communities. With the tough-on-crime approach during the War on Drugs, there was a deterrence approach where harsher penalties were hoped to deter individuals from the use of cocaine. The War on Drugs led to America’s mass incarceration, with mainly minority communities filling up the prison systems, with 1 in 4 African American males incarcerated or on parole by 1989.
Furthermore, the social climate leading up to the coining of the term superpredator was formed through media presence publicizing a suggestion that society should develop a moral panic concerning potential dangers from adolescents. These exaggerated claims were further developed by politicians, which motivated their desire to enhance policing and use harsher disciplines in hopes of stabilizing youth crime and creating public safety. Studies show that though the intentions were to deal with youth violence, many consequences developed out of the publicization of the moral panic surrounding youth. Racial biases were reinforced through media suggestions, specifically, the young Black and Latino male population. This reinforcement could be due to the misunderstanding society has on the credibility of media and news, being that it is here to aid in our awareness and understanding of current news, yet multiple sources confirm how news media was created to serve personal interests, often money, and inherently misguiding viewers. That being said, this was the present groundwork laid prior to the coining of the term superpredator: amplifying public panic concerning youth crime through increased deception via news media, mainly and innately targeting youths of color.

## Impact

The superpredator myth had a long-lasting impact on policy and the community. Initially, the juvenile justice system was created to deal with adolescent criminal behavior in a way that was appropriate for their age. However, this has shifted to them being handled in the same manner as adults in the justice system over time. Shared public fear in combination with the tough-on-crime approach already established, led to harsh policies for juveniles, such as life without parole, abolition of parole, and removing juveniles from their respective courts to adult court with adult sentences. Because of their not-yet developed pre-frontal cortex, adolescents do not have the same understanding of their behavior and the logistics of the court system and can often trap themselves. A guilty plea may seem like a sound idea, but it can lead to falsely admitting to a crime they never committed out of fear and lack of awareness. After being arrested, juveniles are 30% more likely to be reincarcerated, leading to more exposure to the consequences of their conviction. Being in a juvenile justice setting during important developmental stages does not allow adolescents to mature in the proper skills to transition smoothly into adulthood. Because of this, many incarcerated youth face homelessness, school enrollment challenges, unemployment, and more.
The policies affect black and Latino youth disproportionately. The mandatory sentencing laws, legislation on life without parole, and the eradication of parole from the tough-on-crime approach led to the perpetuation of racist ideologies. At the time, the newer sentencing laws impacted more than 2,000 children, with 70% being of color.