The author seeks to understand deviance from the major sociological perspectives and theories of deviance by providing a comprehensive, balanced examination of the conceptual foundation of the sociology of deviance. An honest and direct approach is constant throughout the text and imparts a practical knowledge towards real world matters that enables the reader to think clearly about them. The book gives the reader interesting material about real life experiences of deviance from which they can learn and understand the different types of deviant individuals that exist in our society. Helps the reader understand the full range of deviance and emphasizes deviance is not always a motivated behavior whose occurrence needs to be explained. For anyone interested in understanding deviant behavior.

Stories are much more than a means of communication—stories help us shape our identities, make sense of the world, and mobilize others to action. In Narrative Criminology, prominent scholars from across the academy and around the world examine stories that animate offending. From an examination of how criminals understand certain types of crime to be less moral than others, to how violent offenders and drug users each come to understand or resist their identity as ‘criminals’, to how cultural narratives motivate genocidal action, the case studies in this book cover a wide array of crimes and justice systems throughout the world.             The contributors uncover the narratives at the center of their essays through qualitative interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, and written archives, and they scrutinize narrative structure and meaning by analyzing genres, plots, metaphors, and other components of storytelling. In doing so, they reveal the cognitive, ideological, and institutional mechanisms by which narratives promote harmful action.  Finally, they consider how offenders’ narratives are linked to and emerge from those of conventional society or specific subcultures.  Each chapter reveals important insights and elements for the development of a framework of narrative criminology as an important approach for understanding crime and criminal justice.  An unprecedented and landmark collection, Narrative Criminology opens the door for an exciting new field of study on the role of stories in motivating and legitimizing harm.

The Psychology of Arson is the first book in its field to focus specifically on contemporary topics relevant to practitioners and professionals working with adolescent and adult deliberate firesetters. Rebekah Doley, Geoffrey Dickens and Theresa Gannon have integrated the very latest information regarding prevalence, theory, research and practice in one accessible resource, and provide practical advice, strategies and techniques in a context of evidence-based research which will be invaluable for all treatment providers who work in the field of deliberate fire setting. Unique features of this book include chapters considering community awareness, strategies, survivors of arson, filicide and suicide by fire, as well as a new treatment model developed on the basis of the latest research in the field. It is divided into four parts: Theories and typologies of firesetting Legal, investigative and preventative issues Assessment and risk assessment of deliberate firesetters Treatment, needs and management of deliberate firesetters The Psychology of Arson provides the first scientist-practitioner model for the treatment of arson offenders. It will be an essential resource for forensic psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and other professionals working with this client group.

Product Description: This is the first book dedicated to Australian youth gangs, exploring the subtleties and nuances of street life for young men and their quest for social respect. The key focus is on group violence and the ways in which the 'gang' provides a forum for the expression of this violence...read more

In recent years attention has switched from how adolescents are attracted into crime, to how adults reduce their offending and then stop – the process of desistance. There are now around a dozen major longitudinal and in-depth studies around the world which have followed or are following offenders over their life course, charting their offending history and their social and economic circumstances. The book is the first to offer a global perspective on desistance and brings together international leading experts in the field from countries including the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain, the USA, and Australia to set out what we know about desistance, and to advance our theoretical understanding. Drawing on leading studies, this book sets the academic agenda for future work on desistance and examines the implications and potential positive effects of this research on desistance processes among current offenders. Global Perspectives on Desistance is divided into three sections: Agency, structure and desistance from crime, Life phases and desistance, Criminal justice and state interventions. Comprehensive and forward-thinking, this book is ideal for students studying criminology, probation and social work, social policy, sociology, and psychology. It is also essential reading for academic criminologists, sociologists, and policy makers and practitioners working in corrections and reform.

The Psychology of Criminal Conduct, Fifth Edition, discusses the psychology of criminal behavior, drawing upon general personality, as well as cognitive-behavioral and cognitive social learning perspectives. The book consists of 15 chapters, which are organized into four sections. Part 1 provides an overview of theoretical context and major knowledge base of the psychology of criminal conduct. Part 2 discusses the eight major risk/need factors of criminal conduct. Part 3 examines the prediction and classification of criminal behavior, along with prevention and rehabilitation. Part 4 summarizes the major issues in understanding criminal conduct. In addition to senior undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals in psychology, this book may be helpful to students and practitioners in the fields of social work, sociology, education, health, youth and family studies, criminology, and youth and adult justice. The book is also accessible to members of the general public who are interested in understanding antisocial behavior. Resource notes throughout explain important concepts. Technical notes at the back of the book allow the advanced student to explore complex research without distracting readers from the main points. An acronym index is also provided.