International Handbook of Victimology

In the nearly four decades since the First International Symposium on Victimology convened in Jerusalem in 1973, some concepts and themes have continued to hold a prominent place in the literature, while new ones have also emerged. Exploring enduring topics such as conceptions of victimhood, secondary and hidden victimization, and social services for victims along with more recent issues, the International Handbook of Victimology provides an interdisciplinary study of the topic from a diverse range of professionals on the cutting edge of victimology research.

Forty experts from top research facilities and universities around the world provide input on the traditional longstanding issues that surround the field of victimology and explore newer themes such as restorative justice, the use of government-sponsored crime victimization surveys, compensation and restitution schemes, and victims’ rights legislation. The second in a trilogy of volumes, this handbook examines victimology from criminology, sociology, psychology, law, and philosophy perspectives. Topics discussed include:

Theoretical and historical frameworks used in the study of victimology
Advances in research methods, including GIS technology
Patterns of victimization, including drug- sex-, and work-related
Responses to victimization by the victim and society
Restorative justice issues
Victimization as it occurs in various social divisions

Describing current research and identifying new ideas and topics of concern, the book collectively presents the “state-of-the-art” of the field today. In doing so, it helps to inform contemporary understanding of an eternal societal plague.

Those wishing to continue their studies should consult the International Handbook of Criminology and the International Handbook of Penology and Criminal Justice, which complete the trilogy.

Shlomo G. Shoham is Professor of Law and an interdisciplinary lecturer at Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University, and is a world-renowned criminologist who has published more than 100 books and about 1,000 articles on crime, deviance, philosophy, religion, psychology, and the human personality. Over the years, he has developed his innovative personality theory, a highly appraised new theory of personality development. In 2003, Professor Shoham was awarded the Israel Prize for research in criminology. Previously, he was awarded the Sellin-Glueck Award, the highest prize in American criminology, and recently the prestigious Emet Prize. He is the recipient of a decoration from the prime minister of France. Professor Shoham has lectured all over the world and has been a resident at the universities of Oxford, Harvard, and the Sorbonne. Paul Knepper is Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffi eld, and Visiting Professor, Institute of Criminology, University of Malta. His research has explored sociopolitical definitions of race, conceptual foundations of crime prevention, and historical origins of contemporary responses to crime. Martin Kett is a self-employed technical writer and translator. He received a BSc in mathematics and statistics from Bar-Ilan University, Israel.

Theoretical and Historical Frameworks

Becoming a Victim; R. Strobl
The Meaning of Justice for Victims; Jo-Anne Wemmers
The Evolution of a Young, Promising Discipline: Sixty Years of Victimology, a Retrospective and Prospective Look; Ezzat A. Fattah
History and a Theoretical Structure of Victimology; G. Ferdinand Kirchhoff
Research Methods in Victimology
Property Crimes and Repeat Victimization: A Fresh Look; A. Tseloni and K. Pease
Key Victimological Findings from the International Crime Victims Survey; J. Van Kesteren and J. Van Dijk
Patterns of Communal Violence Victimization in South India: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analysis; K. Jaishankar
Patterns of Victimization
Secondary Victims and Secondary Victimization; R. Condry
Drugs and Alcohol in Relation to Crime and Victimization; M. Clark
Victims of Sex Trafficking: Gender, Myths, and Consequences; S. Milivojevic and S. Ćopić
Occupational Victimization; R. Lusignan and J. D. Marleau
Tourism and Victimization; R. I. Mawby, E. Barclay, and C. Jones
Responses to Criminal Victimization

Victims and Criminal Justice in Europe; J. Shapland Lobbying for Rights: Crime Victims in Israel; U. Yanay and T. Gal
Victim Services in the United States; B. T. Muscat
Fear of Crime in the Republic of Ireland: Understanding Its Origins and Consequences; M. Butler and P. Cunningham
Restorative Justice

When Prisoners Leave: Victim–Offender Relationships in a Transitions Context; R.White
Death of a Metaphor? Healing Victims and Restorative Justice; T. Daems
The Healing Nature of Apology and Its Contribution toward Emotional Reparation and Closure in Restorative Justice Encounters; E. Brook and S. Warshwski-Brook
Exploring the Effects of Restorative Justice on Crime Victims for Victims of Conflict in Transitional Societies; H. Strang
Victims and Social Divisions

The Hidden Violent Victimization of Women; W. S. Dekeseredy
Images of Criminality, Victimization, and Disability; M. Madriaga and R. Mallett
The Psychological Impact of Victimization: Mental Health Outcomes and Psychological, Legal, and Restorative Interventions; S. N. Verdun-Jones and K. R. Rossiter
Culture and Wife Abuse: An Overview of Theory, Research, and Practice; C. Machado, A. R. Dias, and C. Coelho
The Idea of the Crime Victim as a Trojan Horse in the Swedish Social Services Act; C. Ljungwald
Conclusion; S. G. Shoham and P. Knepper