Varieties of Violent Behavior

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9679554
AutoresCathy Spatz Widom (0000-0001-7006-4905, Department of Psychology John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Graduate Center City University of New York, autor correspondente)
Ano2014
Volume52
Fascículo3
Páginas313-344
Data de publicação2014-08-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoCriminology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0011-1384 • E-ISSN: 1745-9125
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1745-9125.12046
PMID25505799
PMCIDPMC4258830
OpenAlexW2105565171
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas13
Referências citadas84

There is an implicit assumption of homogeneity across violent behaviors and offenders in the criminology literature. Arguing against this assumption, I draw on three distinct literatures [child abuse and neglect (CAN) and violence, violence and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and CAN and PTSD] to provide a rationale for an examination of varieties of violent behaviors. I use data from my prospective cohort design study of the long‐term consequences of CAN to define three varieties of violent offenders using age of documented cases of CAN, onset of PTSD, and first violent arrest in a temporally correct manner [CAN → to violence, CAN → PTSD → violence (PTSD first), and CAN → violence → PTSD (violence first)], and a fourth variety, violence only. The results illustrate meaningful heterogeneity in violent behavior and different developmental patterns and characteristics. There are three major implications: First, programs and policies that target violence need to recognize the heterogeneity and move away from a “one‐size‐fits‐all” approach. Second, violence prevention policies and programs that target abused and neglected children are warranted, given the prominent role of CAN in the backgrounds of these violent offenders. Third, criminologists and others interested in violence need to attend to the role of PTSD, which is present in about one fifth (21 percent) of these violent offenders, and not relegate the study of these offenders to the psychiatric and psychological literatures

Criminology · Cycle of violence · Domestic violence · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Neglect · Poison control · Psychiatry · Violent crime · Child Abuse and Trauma · Clinical Psychology · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology