Criminal Violence: Patterns, Causes, and Prevention

Now in a new edition, Criminal Violence: Patterns, Causes, and Prevention provides a comprehensive and compelling review of this explosive field. Noted criminologists Marc Riedel and Wayne Welsh make the "big picture" of criminal violence accessible to undergraduates--without oversimplifying the topic, they offer broad yet detailed coverage of issues, theories, and controversies. Two new chapters focus on domestic and international terrorism.

Criminal Violence begins by (1) examining meanings and measures of violence; (2) considering theories used to explain violence; (3) exploring violence in other countries; and (4) providing a historical account of violence in the United States. The next section covers types of criminal violence, including homicide and assault, robbery, rape and sexual assault, and hate crimes. The book then shifts its focus to violence in specific settings and contexts, discussing family violence, workplace violence, school violence, gang violence, guns and violence, drugs and violence, homicide and aggravated assault, robbery, hate crimes, and rape and sexual assault. The final chapter brings together the major themes of criminal violence--its patterns, causes, and prevention.

A unique and engaging three-part framework (Patterns, Explanations, and Interventions) discusses each type of violence. This helps students understand the important relationships between research, theory, and application:
* Patterns: Describe the characteristics of victims, offenders, and offenses; places where violence occurs frequently; and trends over time
* Explanations: Examine the major theories that are used to understand each type of violence
* Interventions: Propose solutions for each type of violence, including diverse legal and social strategies-both proactive (e.g., prevention) and reactive (e.g., punishment)

Marc Riedel is a Professor of Crime Studies at Southern Illinois University. Wayne Welsh is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Temple University