The higher availability of guns in the US? The fact that the prison system in the US does not reform but punishes instead and convert first time convicts into hardened criminals? Other factors?
Probably not the guns. Germany has about a third the rate of gun ownership the US does and its rates of serious violent crimes, both with and without guns are much less than a third those of the US. All of Scandinavia, Switzerland and Iceland have high rates of gun ownership and even lower crime rates.
The prisons might have an impact, but I think at least as important is the post-release re-integration in to society. The parole system in the US is set up more to ensure that released prisoners can be easily subjected to further punishment if need be than to help them lead productive lives.
An important factor is that those countries have a distinct culture and sense of community. People are more willing to hurt others they don't see as part of a group to which they are loyal. I actually see the lack of cultural homogeneity as a strength for the US overall, but I think it tends to lead to more crime.
Another important factor is the relative lack of poverty in northwestern Europe. Someone who sees none of their prospective ways to earn a living legally leading to a comfortable lifestyle is more likely to consider illegal and antisocial approaches.
I didn't know gun ownership in Germany was that high, anecdotically, the only people I know with a gun over there keep it in the hunting/shooting club and not at home (It's more of a gun used for sport than for protection).
In term of cultural homogeneity, I don't actually think there's much less cultural homogeneity in Europe compared to US. We do have a lot of immigrants from different cultures actually...
I do agree in term of poverty factor, for a country that is seen externally as being rather powerful and rich, there's a lot of inequality in the US with a very sizable underclass and a seemingly low upward mobility. This is the one thing I rather appreciate in Europe, education is almost free and opens a lot of opportunities that I probably wouldn't have had if I were american (even my tuition when I was an exchange student in the US was free thanks to that).
Probably not the guns. Germany has about a third the rate of gun ownership the US does and its rates of serious violent crimes, both with and without guns are much less than a third those of the US. All of Scandinavia, Switzerland and Iceland have high rates of gun ownership and even lower crime rates.
The prisons might have an impact, but I think at least as important is the post-release re-integration in to society. The parole system in the US is set up more to ensure that released prisoners can be easily subjected to further punishment if need be than to help them lead productive lives.
An important factor is that those countries have a distinct culture and sense of community. People are more willing to hurt others they don't see as part of a group to which they are loyal. I actually see the lack of cultural homogeneity as a strength for the US overall, but I think it tends to lead to more crime.
Another important factor is the relative lack of poverty in northwestern Europe. Someone who sees none of their prospective ways to earn a living legally leading to a comfortable lifestyle is more likely to consider illegal and antisocial approaches.