"Violence and disorder constitute the primal problem of American history, the dark reverse of the coin of freedom and abundance." —David T. Courtwright
Beginning with a definition of violence and then introducing their primary theme, the interconnectedness of all violent crime, authors Alex Alvarez and Ronet Bachman employ the most up-to-date research, theories, and cases in their broad, interdisciplinary analysis of the patterns and correlates of violence. With a highly engaging writing style, the authors of
Violence: The Enduring Problem explore a number of different types of both individual and collective violent acts and examine the linkages, behaviors, ideas, perceptions, and justifications that connect these different types of violence. Inspired generally by the fear of the pervasive violence in the world and more specifically by the recent Virginia Tech massacre, the text also addresses legislative, social, and political efforts to curb violent behavior.
Key Features
- Provides a comprehensive yet accessible understanding of the nature and patterns of violence: Using an interdisciplinary approach to provide a more thorough and complete analysis of human behavior leading to violence, the book draws from a number of different disciplines including criminology and criminal justice, sociology, psychology, political science, and public health.
- Highlights commonalities between various forms of violence: Introducing the idea of the "unity of human aggression," Alvarez and Bachman postulate that acts of violence share a significant number of core defining traits that join them together, such as rationalization or justification by the perpetrator, the predictive nature of past violence for future violence, the "spillover theory" of violence, and the "brutalization hypothesis," among others. By examining both individual and collective forms of violence the text illustrates the linkages between violent acts.
- Exposes readers to a wide range of aggressive behaviors: The book includes both contemporary and historical sources to explore a variety of types of interpersonal and group violent crimes, including homicide, assault, rape, domestic violence, robbery, genocide, riot, lynching, and terrorism among others.
- Offers policy connections and implications: By reviewing legislative, social, and political responses to violence, the authors help readers understand the direct impact of violence on society at large.
- Boasts extensive pedagogical tools: The text includes tables, charts, photographs, "In Focus" boxes, and other visual aids to illustrate key concepts discussed in the book.
Intended Audience This is an ideal core text for undergraduate and graduate courses such as Violence and Abuse, Sociology of Violence and Abuse, Violence in America, and Violent Crime in departments of criminology, criminal justice, sociology, political science, and social work.
Alex Alvarez, PhD, is a professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice at
Northern Arizona University. From 2001 until 2003, he was the founding director of the
Martin-Springer Institute for Teaching the Holocaust, Tolerance, and Humanitarian Values.
In 2017–2018, he served as the Ida E. King Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Holocaust and
Genocide Studies at Stockton University. His first book, Governments, Citizens, and Genocide,
was published by Indiana University Press in 2001. His other books include Murder American
Style (2002), Genocidal Crimes (2009), Native America and the Question of Genocide (2014), and
Unsteady Ground: Climate Change, Conflict, and Genocide (2017). He has also served as an editor
for the journal Violence and Victims, was a founding coeditor of the journal Genocide Studies
and Prevention, and is an editor for Genocide Studies International. He has been invited to speak
and present his research across North America and Europe.
Ronet D. Bachman, PhD, worked as a statistician at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S.
Department of Justice, before going back to an academic career; she is now a professor in the
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. She is coauthor
of Statistical Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice and coeditor of Explaining Criminals
and Crime: Essays in Contemporary Criminal Theory. In addition, she is the author of Death and
Violence on the Reservation and coauthor of Stress, Culture, and Aggression; Murder American
Style; and Violence: The Enduring Problem, along with numerous articles and papers that examine
the epidemiology and etiology of violence, with particular emphasis on women, the elderly,
and minority populations as well as research examining desistance from crime. Her most recent
federally funded research was a mixed-methods study that examined the long-term desistance
trajectories of criminal justice involved drug-involved individuals who have been followed with
both quantitative and interview data for nearly thirty years. Her current state-funded research is
assessing the needs of violent crime victims, especially those whose voices are rarely heard such
as loved ones of homicide victims.
