Victimology

This book covers the scope of crime victims’ suffering in the U.S., offering a history of victims and the measurement of victimization, an explanation of the victim’s role in the criminal justice process, and a recounting of the issues crime victims face as a result of crime and the criminal justice process. Doerner and Lab, both well-regarded scholars, write compellingly about how the current criminal’s justice system can be transformed into a victim’s justice system. Theory is woven together with the description of each topic, and specific examples illustrate each point. The book goes on to address the full impact of victimization, and a final section details specific types of victimization, ranging from violent crimes, including child and elder abuse, to property crime, to crime in the school and in the workplace. The authors explain how obstacles hinder the pursuit of justice, and provide significant policy and programming suggestions to render the system more victim-friendly.

Appropriate for undergraduate as well as early graduate students in Victimology courses in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Justice Studies programs, this book offers rich pedagogical features and online student resources as well as test bank, PowerPoint lecture slides, and sample syllabus for instructors.

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 Professor of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University. 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 five 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. 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 has received grant funding for several large research projects from the National Institute of Justice and has served as a consultant to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Arizona Governor’s Office, and various offices of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lab is also a past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.