Victimology

by William G. Doerner, Steven P. Lab

Overview

Doerner (Florida State University) and Lab (Bowling Green State University) trace the historical elimination of the victim from social processing of criminal acts, examine the costs associated with being a victim of crime, and summarize theories about the root causes of sexual assault, spouse abuse, child maltreatment, elderly abuse, and homicide. The fourth edition updates references, statistics, and websites. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138690295
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/25/2017
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

William G. Doerner is a retired Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University, where he served since 1977. A specialist in victimology and law enforcement issues, he holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Tennessee. Doerner retired from active duty with the Tallahassee Police Department after 29 years of service as a part-time sworn law enforcement officer. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Organization of Victim Assistance and was the Founding President of the Florida Network of Victim/Witness Services, past Director of the Program in Criminal Justice at Florida State University, and a previous editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice. In addition to other professional accolades, Doerner received the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award from the Southern Criminal Justice Association and was a winner of the John P.J. Dussich Award from the American Society of Victimology.

Steven P. Lab is an Emeritus Professor of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University where he served as Director of Criminal Justice for 27 years and Chair of Human Services for 17 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the Florida State University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Lab is the author or co-author of eight books, co-editor of one encyclopedia, and the author of more than 50 articles or book chapters. He is a past editor of the Journal of Crime and Justice and is Assistant Editor of Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal. Lab has been a visiting professor at the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science of the University College London and at Keele University in Staffordshire, England, as well as a Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University (England) and a Research Consultant with the Perpetuity Research Group at Leicester University (England). Lab is also a past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Table of Contents

	List of Figures	xiii
	List of Tables	xvii
Chapter 1	The Scope of Victimology	1
	Introduction	1
	The Victim Throughout History	1
	The Reemergence of the Victim	3
	Empirical Studies of Victim Precipitation	9
	A New Approach: General Victimology	13
	Critical Victimology	16
	The Victim Movement	17
	Summary and Overview of This Book	21
	Key Terms	23
Chapter 2	Gauging the Extent of Criminal Victimization	25
	Introduction	25
	The Uniform Crime Reports	26
	Statistics from the UCR	27
	Victimization Surveys	30
	Statistics from the NCVS	43
	Repeat Victimization	48
	Summary	51
	Key Terms	51
Chapter 3	The Costs of Being a Victim	53
	Introduction	53
	The Consequences of Victimization	54
	Prosecutorial-Based Victim-Witness Projects	63
	Beyond the Prosecutor's Office	72
	Dissenting Voices	76
	Summary	79
	Key Terms	79
Chapter 4	Remedying the Plight of Victims	81
	Introduction	81
	Offender Restitution	82
	Civil Litigation	89
	Private Insurance	93
	Victim Compensation	93
	Does Victim Compensation Work?	101
	Summary	106
	Key Terms	106
Chapter 5	Sexual Assault	109
	Introduction	109
	Defining Sexual Assault	110
	Measuring the Extent of Rape	113
	Theories of Sexual Assault	121
	The Aftermath of Rape	126
	Legal Reforms	130
	The Impact of Legal Reform	138
	Responding to Sexual Assault Victims	140
	Summary	147
	Key Terms	147
Chapter 6	Spouse Abuse	149
	Introduction	149
	A Brief History of Spousal Violence	150
	The Extent of Spousal Violence	152
	Theories of Spouse Abuse	156
	Police Intervention	161
	The Minneapolis Experiment	165
	Reaction to the Minneapolis Experiment	167
	The Minneapolis Experiment Replications	173
	Prosecutorial and Judicial Action	175
	Coordinating System Approaches	181
	More Recent Responses	183
	Summary	195
	Key Terms	196
Chapter 7	Child Maltreatment	199
	Introduction	199
	The Discovery of Child Maltreatment	199
	Understanding the Discovery of Child Maltreatment	201
	A Survey of Child Maltreatment Laws	202
	The Incidence of Child Maltreatment	210
	Some Characteristics of Maltreated Children	213
	Theories of Child Maltreatment	214
	Some Coping Strategies	218
	Summary	231
	Key Terms	231
Chapter 8	Elder Abuse	233
	Introduction	233
	Defining the Elderly	234
	Criminal Victimization of the Elderly	234
	Fear of Crime	236
	Elder Abuse and Neglect	241
	The Incidence of Elder Maltreatment	246
	Some Characteristics of Victims and Offenders	249
	Institutional Abuse	251
	Theories of Elder Abuse and Neglect	253
	Responding to Elder Abuse and Neglect	257
	Summary	260
	Key Terms	261
Chapter 9	Homicide	263
	Introduction	263
	The Extent of Homicide Victimization	264
	Theories of Homicide Victimization	271
	Survivors of Homicide Victimization	285
	Summary	290
	Key Terms	291
Chapter 10	Victimization at Work and School	293
	Introduction	293
	Victimization at Work	294
	Victimization at School	307
	Sexual Harassment	318
	Summary	324
	Key Terms	325
Chapter 11	Victim Rights	327
	Introduction	327
	Victim Rights Amendment	328
	Victim Rights Legislation	336
	The Effect of Victim Rights Legislation	346
	Victim Impact Statements	346
	Informal Victim Participation	350
	Some Closing Thoughts	355
	Summary	357
	Key Terms	358
	References	359
	Subject Index	407
	Author Index	415

Editorial Reviews

The topic of victimology is always a very sensitive issue to discuss. We want to make sure we are sensitive about the topic but have open discussion as well…The book does a wonderful job of reaching the learning outcome standards—Michelle L. Foster, Kent State University

[Victimology] provides students with solid foundational knowledge that they must use to successfully experience and implement their community-based projects, as well as engage in class discussion.—Carrie Cook, Georgia College

From the Publisher

This text overviews the history of the study of crime victims and victimology, then examines the development of victimization surveys, the costs associated with being a crime victim and the burdens of becoming involved with the criminal justice system, and how the criminal justice system responds to victimization and the continuing needs of victims. The text details issues surrounding specific forms of criminal victimization including sexual assault, spousal abuse, and homicide, as well as victimization that takes place in schools and the workplace. Doerner is affiliated with Florida State University. Lab is affiliated with Bowling Green State University. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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