Violence: Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability among people aged 1 to 34 in the United States . Violence is the threat or actual use of physical force or power against another person, against oneself or against a group or community, which results in injury, death or deprivation. Violence has become a national epidemic and a major public health problem. In a 1998 study by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, 64.8 percent of 405 African Americans surveyed considered domestic violence one of the most serious problems facing their community. Approximately one in three African American women are abused by their husbands or partners during their lifetime. Among women who die from domestic violence, 28% are African American. Many people agree that African Americans are one of the most violent races in America. But that’s a racial stereotype; constructed beliefs that all members of the same race share given circumstances. Despite the perception that African Americans are prone to violence, those who took part in the civil rights movement achieved their equality through nonviolent means. In 1906, the New York Zoological Park presented an exhibit featuring an African-American man and a chimpanzee. Years later, the Ringling Brothers Circus exhibited “the Ape Man,” who of course was also a black man. Scientific studies have been carried out to establish the rightful place of African-Americans in society. Scientists carried out tests and measurements and concluded that black people were savages for the following reasons: abnormal arm length, brain weight, short and flat and upturned noses, thick and protruding lips, extremely thick skull and thick epidermis . Besides the fact that the sci...... middle of paper ... are on the streets, they are planning a crime or looking to "gang-bang". Most people are aware that any adolescent seeking independence feels a strong sense of adult ambivalence. Thus, many of these adolescents consider any police intervention to be harassment and excessive. The reality is that these young men have been forced to “raise” themselves, as many do not have fathers and their mothers are forced to work two minimum wage jobs just to feed and clothe them. Without suitable role models, they seek advice and support from their friends. This may lead them to engage in risky behaviors, but it often puts them in the “wrong place, wrong time.” Many of these young men also carry guns because their deprived neighborhoods are teeming with gangs and drug dealers. And "it's better to become a member than to be shot by a”.