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American Homicide
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American Homicide

Second Edition
September 2019 | 320 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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American Homicide examines all types of homicide, and gives additional attention to the more prevalent types of murder and suspicious deaths in the United States. Authors Richard M. Hough and Kimberly D. McCorkle employ more than 30 years of academic and practitioner experience to help explain why and how people kill and how society reacts. This brief, yet comprehensive book takes a balanced approach, combining scholarly research and theory with compelling details about recent cases and coverage of current trends. Comparative coverage of homicide types and rates in countries around the world shows how American homicide statistics compare internationally. 
 
1. Introducing You to Homicide
Introduction

 
Homicide: What Most People Think They Know

 
Organization of the Book

 
Historic and Contemporary

 
What This Book Is Not

 
Policy Implications

 
 
2. Who’s Killing Whom and How Much
Introduction

 
What We Measure

 
How We Measure

 
Studying Homicide Situations

 
Data Challenges

 
 
3. Murder by the Numbers
Introduction

 
Victims—Who Dies

 
Offenders—Categories and Demographics

 
Location, Location, Location

 
Weapons Used in Violence

 
Other Circumstances

 
Trends and Patterns

 
Homicide Internationally

 
 
4. Why We Do It: Theories of Homicide
Introduction: Sociological and Criminological Perspectives

 
Individual Explanations

 
Social Structural

 
Life Course, Lifestyle, and Routine Activities Theory

 
 
5. Confrontational Homicide
Introduction

 
Victim Precipitation

 
Honor Contests

 
Road Rage

 
Audience

 
Alcohol

 
Physiology

 
Girls, Women, and Confrontational Homicide

 
Investigative Considerations

 
 
6. Intimate Partner Homicide
Introduction

 
Rates

 
Dynamics of Intimate Partner Homicide

 
Theories to Explain Intimate Partner Homicide

 
Lethality Assessment

 
Fatality Review Teams

 
Prosecution of Intimate Partner Homicide

 
 
7. All in the Family
Introduction

 
Familicide

 
Parents and Children

 
Other Family Killings

 
 
8. School Killings
Introduction

 
Mass Shootings and Attacks

 
The Killers

 
Motivations of Those Who Kill

 
International Incidents

 
Policy Responses

 
 
9. Mass Murder in Public and the Workplace
Introduction

 
Public Places

 
Workplace Violence

 
Workplace Victims

 
The Workplace Killer

 
Assessing Violence Potential

 
Policy Implications

 
 
10. Killings by Groups: Gangs and Cults
Introduction

 
Gangs and Killing

 
Cults and New Religious Movements (NRM)

 
Cult Leaders and Followers

 
Assessing Impacts

 
Policy Implications

 
 
11. Tool of Terror
Introduction

 
Definition and History

 
Acts of Terror

 
Who Are Terrorists?

 
Hate Crimes and Killing

 
Role of the Media

 
Stopping Terrorists

 
 
12. Serial Killing
Introduction

 
Myth and Mayhem

 
Typologies

 
Profiling Serial Killers

 
Female Serial Killers

 
Medical or Health Care Serial Killers

 
Team Serial Killers

 
Catching Serial Killers

 
 
13. Solving Homicides
Introduction

 
First Officer on the Scene

 
Arriving With Caution

 
Locard’s Exchange Principle

 
Investigator Arrives

 
Documentation

 
Collection of Evidence

 
ME or No ME?

 
Prosecutors: Who Needs ‘Em?

 
Technology

 
Case Personnel

 
Working With the Media

 
Cold Case Investigations

 
 
14. Murder in Court
Introduction

 
Stages in Homicide Cases

 
Expert Witness Testimony

 
Building the Case and Charging Decisions

 
Evidentiary Issues

 
Defense Attorney Functions and Tactics

 
Ethical Issues

 
Plea Bargaining

 
Sentencing

 
 
15. Victims, Society, and the Future
Introduction

 
Victim Impact

 
Public Health Perspective

 
Criminal Justice System Response and Legislation

 
Societal Issues

 
Predicting Violence

 
Technology

 

This text is an all-around approach to the topic of Homicide. It clears up what a Homicide is which many students have differing opinions. It shows the student data on the prevalence of this crime which many have an erroneous view of.  It does a great job discussing the different types of homicide. This is often neglected in many other texts.

Thomas S. Alexander
University of Maryland, College Park-Shady Grove

A well thought-out and organized text on homicide. It combines elements from the academic and practitioner point of view providing a well-rounded aspect. This text also has relevant cases and offers opportunities for the students to discover information on their own through the “Try This” component. It is student and faculty friendly allowing for more in-depth classroom discussion while simultaneously being comprehensive on its own.

American Homicide
American Homicide
Melissa J. Tetzlaff-Bemiller
Augusta University

This text provides a multidisciplinary and balanced overview of homicide and is presented in a clear, well-organized, and student friendly manner.

Mark Winton
University of Central Florida

Covers the topics inclusively

Dr Anita Black
Criminal Just Criminology Dept, Lincoln Memorial University
March 31, 2020
Report this review

I selected to list this text as selective reading, and not mandatory.

Professor Todd Douglas Hand
Law, Unity College In Maine
September 30, 2019
Report this review
Key features

In the second edition of the book you will find the following new topics:

  • Expanded coverage of the UCR (Chapter 2)
  • New trends in violent crime data (Chapter 2)
  • Violent crime trends in Chicago (Chapter 3)
  • Expanded discussion of traumatic brain injury and connections to violent behaviors (Chapter 4)
  • Factors to consider when attempting to predict violence (Chapter 5)
  • The connection between intimate partner homicide and strangulation (Chapter 6)
  • Intergenerational transmission of violence (Chapter 7)
  • Juvenile murderers (Chapter 7)
  • The role of school size in school violence (Chapter 8)
  • The role of school leaders and staff to prevent violence (Chapter 8)
  • New technology in school safety, such as facial recognition technology (Chapter 8)
  • Legislative responses to recent school shootings (Chapter 8)
  • Indicators of workplace violence (Chapter 9)
  • Policy implications of violence in public spaces (Chapter 9)
  • Expanded discussion of American Right-Wing and Left-Wing terrorism (Chapter 10)
  • Added emphasis on hate-motivated murders (Chapter 10)
  • Impact of technology, including the use of social media on solving homicides (Chapter 13)
  • Cold case investigations, including the use of DNA and genealogical databases and methods (Chapter 13)
  • Expert testimony in homicide cases (Chapter 14)
  • Expanded discussion of violence prevention initiatives (Chapter 15)

New "Why Would They Do It" boxes examine recent case studies, such as:

  • The Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting
  • The 2018 shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill
  • Recent terrorist attacks and hate crimes
  • The Golden State Killer cold case investigation and apprehension
  • Church shootings and security
  • Gun access policies

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1: Introducing You to Homicide

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