Understanding Violence

By Elizabeth Kandel Englander

Book Overview

What impels human beings to harm others -- family members or strangers? And how can these impulses and actions be prevented or controlled? Heightened public awareness of, and concern about, what is widely perceived as a recent explosion of violence -- on a spectrum from domestic abuse to street crime -- has motivated behavioral and social scientists to cast new light on old questions. Many hypotheses have been offered. This volume sorts, structures, and evaluates them. The author draws on contemporary research and theory in varied fields--sociology, clinical psychology, psychiatry, social work, neuropsychology, behavioral genetics, child development, and education--to present a uniquely balanced, integrated, and readable summary of what we currently know about the causes and effects of violence. Throughout, she emphasizes the necessity of distinguishing among different types of violent behavior and of realizing that nature and nurture interact in human development. Controversial issues such as physical punishment and violent television programming receive special attention making this volume an important resource for all those concerned with violent offenders and their victims -- and for their students and trainees. In this third edition of Understanding Violence, author Elizabeth Kandel Englander draws on contemporary research and theory in varied fields to present a uniquely balanced, integrated, and readable summary of what we currently know about the causes and effects of violence, particularly its effect on children. The goal of this textbook is to give a critical review of the most relevant and important areas of research on street and family violence, examining why it is that people become violent. Between 1994 and 2004 the United States benefited from a dramatic decline in rates of violent crime. However, as the economy has weakened in recent years and tougher times have returned, the crime rate has shown signs of a modest increase. Understanding Violence comes at this important juncture. The text is arranged into two sections, one of which focuses on broader issues, and another centering on specific types of abuse. This new edition will be a powerful text for all those interested in violent offenders and their victims.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805819401
• ISBN13: 9780805819403
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Psychology Press
• Length: 187 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.5" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Concise yet multi-faceted

Elizabeth Kandel-Englander has produced a much improved second edition of her book "Understanding Violence". I took the course from Dr. Englander and used the first edition. Now as a Teaching Assistant for her were are using the second edition and I am amazed at it's span and how much it is packed with useful and reputable research. The second edition involves such new topics as school violence, keeping in mind how much the world has changed post-September 11th. "Understanding Violence" attempts to look at violence from every angle without bias and without trying to pin down a specific cause for violence. This is an excellent resource for Professors teaching Forensic Psychology and Criminal Behavior courses, as well as an interesting read for someone who would like to become more educated in what makes criminals tick. Englander comes across as intelligent and knowledgeable without losing you in statistics and jargon.

Fascinating exploration of the origins of human violence

Not just for professionals, this is a lucidly written and gripping inquiry into the roots of our greatest unsolved social problem--violence. I recommend it enthusiastically. I gave this book as a gift to all entering college freshmen I knew