NCJ Number
177216
Date Published
1997
Length
341 pages
Annotation
Fear of crime is viewed as a way of preventing violence, and the author attempts to help the reader distinguish real from imagined danger and learn how to recognize signals of impending violence.
Abstract
Statistics on the frequency of violence indicate the likelihood of becoming a victim of violence at some point in time. Because this likelihood is a key element in recognizing when an individual is in the presence of danger, there is a clear need to improve violence prediction techniques. It is relatively easy to predict how a child will react to a warning, how a witness will react to a question, or how a jury will react to a witness. Predicting violent behavior is even easier, but the problem is that many believe violence is an aberration committed by others who are not in the mainstream of society. Even random or senseless violence always has purpose and meaning, at least to the perpetrator, and individuals need to understand how to recognize warning signals and prevent violence. Stories from the author's own career are cited to provide insights on human intuition and behavior and to help create a safer society. Appendixes contain further information on signals and predictive strategies, gun safety, and workplace violence, and elements of prediction, along with a list of resources and a list of questions to ask about the potential for violence in schools. 36 references