Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention
- Bonnie S. Fisher - University of Cincinnati, USA
- Steven P. Lab - Bowling Green State University, USA
Crime prevention is an important companion to victimology because it offers insight and techniques to prevent situations that lead to crime and attempts to offer ideas and means for mitigating or minimizing the potential for victimization.
.In many ways, the two fields 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 more.
The Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention provides a comprehensive reference work bringing together such dispersed knowledge as it outlines and discusses the status of victims within the criminal justice system and topics of deterring and preventing victimization in the first place and responding to victims' needs.
Two volumes containing approximately 375 signed entries provide users with the most authoritative and comprehensive reference resource available on victimology and crime prevention, both in terms of breadth and depth of coverage.
In addition to standard entries, leading scholars in the field have contributed Anchor Essays that, in broad strokes, provide starting points for investigating the more salient victimology and crime prevention topics.
A representative sampling of general topic areas covered includes: interpersonal and domestic violence, child maltreatment, and elder abuse; street violence; hate crimes and terrorism; treatment of victims by the media, courts, police, and politicians; community response to crime victims; physical design for crime prevention; victims of nonviolent crimes; deterrence and prevention; helping and counseling crime victims; international and comparative perspectives, and more.
"....Features some 370 signed articles by leading authorities and practitioners on topics within the separate but complementary fields of victimology and crime prevention....This set will be useful for colleges and universities supporting programs in criminology or law, feminist studies, psychology and human services, political science and public policy, and sociology. It is also offered electronically throuogh SAGE Reference Online. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above."
"...The bulk of each entry discusses the crime within the context of its victims and its possible prevention. In addition, there are essays covering different theories of crime and violence as well as those focused on methodologies including a number of victimization scales and surveys.... In short, these two volumes provide readers a well-balanced and thorough reference that lends clarity to both disciplines while at the same time showing their complimentary nature. Undergraduate students are an obvious audience for this reference, and academic libraries would do well to consider it. However, it will also be a valuable resource for victim advocacy groups and crime prevention agencies."
".... Plenty of current, accurate titles on both subjects exist, but this is the first work to link crime prevention and victimology overtly in one resource.... Bottom line Those studying law enforcement, the judicial system, victim's services, criminal justice, and social services as well as victims caught in the criminal justice system will find this helpful. Purchase where needed."
