Rowman & Littlefield Publishers The Risk in Crime

Work on risk has developed into a large industry applied in a variety of ways and locations. Here we locate crime research in the overall interdisciplinary study of risk and begin to address how risk can be used as a key element in our understanding of crime origins, evolution and prevention. We investigate how risk has been dealt with in crime theories and the usefulness of this concept in connecting crime perspectives together; we consider the ways in which risk is embedded in the evolution of crime; and how we might use the concept of risk to prevent crime and victimization. Using the criminal event perspective, we tie together risk with crime theories in a coherent fashion. Further, we explore how these ideas work in practical applications of crime control and prevention. The implicit notion of risk assessment practiced by police is explored and made explicit in our treatment of this topic in our last chapter. We believe that the increased interest in risk demands that we have a clearer idea of how it works within crime theories and how it can be successfully employed in improving police practice, providing the tools to act proactively on good intelligence and carefully thought out strategies. Review Von Brunschott and Kennedy have raised a major issue: how can criminology neglect the notion of 'risk?' Their answer shows convincingly that it can't.--Robert F. Meier, University of Nebraska at Omaha Kennedy and Van Brunschot's work draws on a multidisciplinary perspective to provide a sense of how the concept of risk can be incorporated into the understanding of crime. The authors examine a number of issues relevant to the prevention of crime as well, which lays a foundation for use of risk assessment to guide practical intervention.--Christopher J. Sullivan, University of Cincinnati The Risk in Crime by Leslie W. Kennedy and Erin E. Gibbs Van Brunschot provides an excellent, clearly written and provocative discussion of the many and varied connections between criminology and the interdisciplinary study of risk. The arguments are insightful and vividly illustrated with examples drawn from a wide range of social science disciplines. The book demonstrates that this pervasive, if elusive concept of risk is central to the efforts of any student, scholar or policy planner who seeks to unravel the complexities of criminal events.--Vincent Sacco, Queens University About the Author Leslie Kennedy is University Professor of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University. Erin Gibbs Van Brunschot is associate professor of sociology at the University of Calgary.