The analysis reveals that rates of most categories of nonviolent crime such as burglary and theft are comparable or lower in the United States than in other industrialized countries. This general trend holds true when specific cities of approximately the same size are compared; these include New York versus London, England, and Los Angeles versus Sydney, Australia. Nevertheless, the United States has significantly higher rates of major violence, particularly homicide. However, most homicides are not the result of criminal activity; they stem from arguments rather than break-ins or muggings. The analysis of violence causes reveals that the impact of television and movie violence on rates of homicide is overrated. Guns are a major factor in homicides. The analysis concludes that reducing lethal violence requires different tactics than the traditional law-and-order approaches to crime in general. Recommended changes in policy and violence prevention programs include modifications of the substantive criminal law and giving priority to addressing handgun availability, high rates of lethal violence among black persons, and the high incidence of homicides where the victim and offender were previously unacquainted. Figures, tables, index, appended methodological information and additional results, and 142 references