Murder American Style

by Alvarez, Alex; Bachman, Ronet

• ISBN13: 9780534534707
• ISBN10: 0534534708
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-24
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

A part of the Wadsworth Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice Series, this book is one of a few to exclusively address the core issues that relate to criminal homicide in the United States. MURDER AMERICAN STYLE provides an interdisciplinary theoretical approach to understand the patterns and trends of lethal American violence.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Acknowledgments	x
Through the Looking Glass	1	(22)
Reporting on Murder in the Media	1	(7)
Fear of Crime and Public Policy	8	(3)
Defining Murder	11	(5)
Measuring Murder	16	(3)
Organization of the Book	19	(1)
Notes	20	(3)
A Murderous Society	23	(32)
Introduction	23	(2)
Historic Overview of Violence	25	(5)
Murder Trends in the Twentieth Century	30	(3)
Regional Differences	33	(2)
The Characteristics of Murder in the United States	35	(4)
Recent Trends in Murder	39	(5)
Victim-Offender Relationships in Murder	44	(3)
International Comparisons	47	(3)
Summary	50	(1)
Notes	50	(5)
Why we Kill	55	(23)
Introduction	55	(1)
Explanations of Homicide Offending	56	(17)
Summary	73	(1)
Notes	74	(4)
Deadly Interactions	78	(17)
Introduction	78	(2)
Homicide Events	80	(3)
Murderous Interactions	83	(4)
A Comment on Homicide Offenders	87	(2)
Robbery Homicides	89	(3)
Summary	92	(1)
Notes	92	(3)
Dangerous Relations	95	(22)
Introduction	95	(2)
Intimate Partner Homicide	97	(8)
Parents Who Kill Their Children	105	(3)
Children Who Kill Their Parents	108	(1)
Other Family Homicides	109	(2)
Explanations of Family and Intimate Partner Homicide	111	(2)
Summary	113	(1)
Notes	113	(4)
When there are Multiple Victims	117	(25)
Introduction	117	(2)
Mass Murder	119	(7)
Spree Murder	126	(2)
Serial Murder	128	(10)
Summary	138	(1)
Notes	138	(4)
Tools of Death	142	(22)
Introduction	142	(1)
Firearms	143	(7)
Alcohol	150	(3)
Illicit Drugs	153	(6)
Summary	159	(1)
Notes	160	(4)
Capital Punishment	164	(21)
Introduction	164	(1)
The Death Penalty in the United States	165	(4)
The Death Penalty Internationally	169	(2)
Death Penalty Justifications	171	(4)
Problems in Administering the Death Penalty	175	(6)
Summary	181	(1)
Notes	182	(3)
Where do we go From Here?	185	(22)
The Hidden Victims	186	(6)
In Guns we Trust	192	(5)
Poverty and Inequality	197	(2)
Recent Developments in Capital Punishment	199	(5)
Summary	204	(1)
Notes	204	(3)
Index	207