Creation of Dangerous Violent Criminals

<p>Lonnie H. Athens’ path-breaking work examines a problem that has baffled experts and the general public alike: How does a person become a predatory violent criminal?</p><p>In the original edition the process that Athens labeled “violentization” encompassed four stages: brutalization defiance dominative engagements and virulency. In this edition Athens identifies a new final stage violent predation as the culmination of the violent criminal’s development. He uses vivid first-person accounts gleaned from in-depth interviews and participant observation of nascent and hardened violent criminals to back up his theory.</p><p>In this vastly expanded edition Athens examines how his thinking and ideas have evolved over the past thirty years and renames and clarifies two stages of development. Athens also addresses for the first time criticisms of his original theory. Milestones of this important work are discussed as well as the paradoxes surrounding its present-day status in the field of criminology. Athens proposes a revised theoretical model that will be useful for classroom use as well as for interested general readers and professionals.</p>