NCJ Number
143886
Date Published
1993
Length
202 pages
Annotation
Violence perpetrated by strangers is examined in terms of its nature and extent, theories regarding the behavior of strangers, and the nature and consequences of two categories of stranger violence.
Abstract
The discussion notes that although stranger violence represents a smaller proportion of criminal violence than that between persons known to each other, its effects are disproportionately greater. In addition, the fear of stranger violence appears to have three components: settings, behavior, and people. Empirical and methodological issues related to the measurement of stranger violence are examined to determine the incidents and rates of these violent events. Additional chapters discuss the meaning of the term "stranger," review theories of stranger behavior, and suggest an alternative formulation suggesting that stranger violence emerges out of routine encounters in settings that are exploited or manipulated for violent ends. The final chapters examine the nature of two forms of violence and their consequences for the criminal justice system in its case processing. The first form involves serious settings exploited by selective relationships and includes rapes, robberies, and robbery murders. The second category focuses on violent stranger confrontations in unserious settings and include encounters in which injuries occur and those where murder is the final outcome. Figures, tables, and chapter notes and reference lists