Violence & Violence Prevention

Anyone living or working in a city has feared or experienced street crime at one time or another; whether it be a mugging, purse snatching, or a more violent crime. In the U.S., street crime has recently hovered near historic lows; hence, the declaration of certain analysts that street life in America has never been safer. But is it really? Street crime has changed over past decades, especially with the advent of surveillance cameras in public places―the territory of the street criminal―but at the same time, criminals have found ways to adapt. This encyclopedic reference focuses primarily on urban lifestyle and its associated crimes, ranging from burglary to drug peddling to murder to new, more sophisticated forms of street crime and scams. This traditional A-to-Z reference has significant coverage of police and courts and other criminal justice sub-disciplines while also featuring thematic articles on the sociology of street crime.

In many ways, the two fields of victimology and crime prevention have developed along parallel yet separate paths, and the literature on both has been scattered across disciplines as varied as sociology, law and criminology, public health and medicine, political science and public policy, economics, psychology and human services, and others. The Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention brings together in one authoritative resource the dispersed information and knowledge on both victimology and crime prevention. With nearly 375 entries, this two-volume set moves victimology and crime prevention one step further into recognized scholarly fields whose research informs practice and whose practice informs research.

The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression presents the current state of knowledge related to the study of violent behaviors and aggression. An important extension of the first Handbook published ten years ago, the second edition maintains a distinctly cross-disciplinary focus by representing the newest scholarship and insights from behavior genetics, cross-cultural comparative psychology/criminology, evolutionary psychology, criminal justice, criminology, human development, molecular genetics, neurosciences, psychology, prevention and intervention sciences, psychiatry, psychopharmacology, public health, and sociology. The Handbook is divided into introductory and overview chapters on the study of violent behavior and aggression, followed by chapters on biosocial bases, individual and interpersonal factors, contextual factors, and prevention and intervention work and policy implications. It is an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and graduate students across social and behavioral science disciplines interested in the etiology, intervention, and prevention of violent behavior and aggression.

The second edition of this comprehensive text for MSW and BSW students studying family violence is fully reorganized for improved flow of information, is substantially revised, and is updated to reflect current scholarship and practice. Focusing on child abuse and maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), and older adult abuse, the book covers assessment procedures and evidence-based treatments used by social workers with victims and perpetrators of all age groups and of both genders.

Balances theoretical frameworks and research methodology to examine the effective evidence-based practices and principles for populations within the criminal justice system. Topics include legislation, law enforcement, courts, corrections, actuarial assessment instruments, treatment fidelity, diverse populations, mental illness, substance use and juvenile delinquency.

Covers the roles of each part of the criminal justice system interacting with mentally ill individuals, from law enforcement and first responders, social services, public health services, sentencing and corrections, to release and re-entry. It also explores the crucial topic of mental health for criminal justice professionals, who suffer from high rates of job stress, PTSD, and other mental health issues. The final section of the book includes suggestions for future research.