Forensic Victimology: Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts [Hardcover]

Brent E. Turvey (Author), Wayne Petherick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0123740894 | ISBN-13: 978-0123740892 | Edition: 1

This new textbook provides students with the basic principles and practice standards of forensic victimology-the scientific study of victims for the purposes of addressing investigative and forensic issues. It provides case-based coverage with original insights into the role that victimology plays in the justice system, moving beyond the traditional theoretical approaches already available. The purpose of this textbook is to distinguish the investigative and forensic aspects of victim study as a necessary adjunct to the field of victimology. It identifies forensic victimologists in the investigative and forensic communities and provides them with methods and standards of practice needed to be of service.

This book is intended to educate students on the means and rationale for performing victimological assessments with a scientific mindset. Forensic Victimology is designed specifically for teaching the practical aspects of this topic, with "hands on" real-life case examples and an extensive online Instructor's manual featuring summaries, key terms, and test questions for every chapter.

* Applied victimology for students and caseworkers performing objective examinations as opposed to theoretical victimology that studies victim groups and crime statistics.
* First ever textbook detailing a mandate, scope and methods for forensic victimologist practitioners.
* Provides a critical / scientific counterbalance to existing mainstream texts approaching general victimology with a pro-victim bias.
* Written by practitioners of forensic victimology in the investigative, forensic, mental health, and academic communities.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brent E. Turvey spent his first years in college on a pre-med track only to change his course of study once his true interests took hold. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Portland State University in Psychology, with an emphasis on Forensic Psychology, and an additional Bachelor of Science degree in History. He went on to receive his Masters of Science in Forensic Science after studying at the University of New Haven, in West Haven, Connecticut. Since graduating in 1996, Brent has consulted with many agencies, attorneys, and police departments in the United States, Australia, China, Canada, Barbados and Korea on a range of rapes, homicides, and serial/ multiple rape/ death cases, as a forensic scientist and criminal profiler. He has also been court qualified as an expert in the areas of criminal profiling, forensic science, victimology, and crime reconstruction. In August of 2002, he was invited by the Chinese People's Police Security University (CPPSU) in Beijing to lecture before groups of detectives at the Beijing, Wuhan, Hanzou, and Shanghai police bureaus. In 2005, he was invited back to China again, to lecture at the CPPSU, and to the police in Beijing and Xian - after the translation of the 2nd edition of his text into Chinese for the University. In 2007, he was invited to lecture at the 1st Behavioral Sciences Conference at the Home Team (Police) Academy in Singapore, where he also provided training to their Behavioral Science Unit. He is the author of Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Editions (1999, 2002, 2008); co- author of the Rape Investigation Handbook (2004), Crime Reconstruction (2006), and Forensic Victimology (2008) - all with Elsevier Science. He is currently a full partner, Forensic Scientist, Criminal Profiler, and Instructor with Forensic Solutions, LLC, and an Adjunct Professor of Justice Studies at Oklahoma City University. He can be contacted via email at: [e-mail].

Wayne Petherick, PhD, is Associate Professor of Criminology at Bond University on Australia's Gold Coast. Here Wayne teaches Criminal Profiling, Behavioral Evidence Analysis, Criminal Motivations, Forensic Criminology and Crime and Deviance, among other subjects. He also consults to private clients on matters of risk and threat, stalking, miscarriages of justice and crime prevention. Wayne is the author of Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling, 2nd Edition (2009), and co-author of Forensic Victimology (2008), both with Elsevier Science. He has also published numerous articles on profiling and stalking. Wayne is a board member of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling and Assistant Editor of the Journal of Behavioral Profiling. He can be reached via email on [e-mail] or [e-mail].

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (October 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0123740894
• ISBN-13: 978-0123740892
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brent E. Turvey spent his first years in college on a pre-med track only to change his course of study once his true interests took hold. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Portland State University in Psychology, with an emphasis on Forensic Psychology, and an additional Bachelor of Science degree in History. He went on to receive his Masters of Science in Forensic Science after studying at the University of New Haven, in West Haven, Connecticut.

Since graduating in 1996, Brent has consulted with many agencies, attorneys, and police departments in the United States, Australia, China, Canada, Barbados and Korea on a range of rapes, homicides, and serial/ multiple rape/ death cases, as a forensic scientist and criminal profiler. He has also been court qualified as an expert in many areas, including criminal profiling, forensic science, crime scene analysis, victimology, and crime reconstruction. He has also authored numerous texts on these subjects used in colleges and universities around the world

He is currently a Forensic Scientist, Criminal Profiler, and Instructor with his private company, Forensic Solutions. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Justice Studies at Oklahoma City University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Sad Day for Victims and Victimology, January 29, 2010

By 

texastigger (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forensic Victimology: Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts (Hardcover)

Victimology is a sub-specialty in forensics that focuses on the victim of a crime or accident etc. There aren't a lot of affordable textbooks on the subject. When I saw this one and read a bit about it. I decided to give it a go. It was mainly the price that did it for me. I'm not particularly a fan of so called "profiler and forensic scientist" Brent Turvey. I was concerned that he was straying a little out of his territory. I've read his work before and am certainly aware that he has an infallible ego. He enjoys taking potshots at his peers and likes to blow his own horn in general. He seems to write on every aspect of forensics known to man. I would call him a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I came to find out that what he really has no clue on is victimology - but I'll get back to that. Nevertheless, I decided to give him one more chance and was determined to keep an open mind. This mistake was a colossal one for me. Let me explain. I am a student of the forensic sciences/behavioral sciences and they encompass a large portion of my waking hours. Usually I'm reading about it, studying, researching, etc. I was also, at several points in my life, a victim. I was car-jacked, pistol whipped, kidnapped and severely beaten. I have also had two other brushes with death. I am now at the point where I would consider myself a survivor. Mr Turvey would have you believe that I am at fault for my victimization because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time or for any one of a myriad of other reasons.

The book begins with a preface that devotes itself to why and how victims are at fault for their own victimization and that researchers on the subject are just to scared to acknowledge this because it isn't politically correct. While he, on the other hand, is fearlessly going ahead and reporting "The Truth". He lists one anecdotal story after another of people who lie, cheat and take advantage of the system to gain monetary compensation or to have an excuse to shirk their responsibilities. Part of me felt like the stories were simply made up to illustrate his point. After I was finished with the preface, I was shocked. There was no mention of anyone who used the system because they genuinely needed or deserved it. I kept waiting for the other side of the picture, only it never came. No stories of victims who beat the odds, used the system to get back on their feet etc. I was so dumbfounded by this I had to put the book down and walk away. It was the next day when I found myself feeling terribly upset, though I didn't understand why. A friend called and after a half hour of tearful confusion she said, "It sounds like you're being awfully hard on yourself." Suddenly, I realized that after reading Turvey's book, I felt like all the tragedy in my life was all my fault! My friend suggested I burn the book. Now that I had a clearer perspective on things, I wanted to see if the preface was just bad or if now that he'd gotten this out of his system, the book would take an even handed approach. I'm sure by now you can guess how things turned out. Let me summarize: Victims are bad people, Turvey is a brilliant pioneer in the field.

I believe Mr Turvey has spent too much time with hard core criminals. He has transferred that criminal attitude onto victims and the study of victimology. Yes, people lie, cheat, steal and do any number of bad things. This occurs everywhere including with people who have been victimized or claim they have been. This little fact could have been covered in one paragraph. An entire book is just ridiculous. To take an entire group of people and tell them it's their fault for being raped, shot, stabbed, etc. is just simply wrong! I could not and will not read any more of this book. It is filled with what Turvey thinks but no where was I able to find a shred of empirical evidence that substantiated his horrible claims. I say this again with the caveat that I did not read every page of the book. I refuse to. Just because Turvey says it does not make it so and I think he has forgotten this or thinks that people should just believe him.

This book does great injustice to an important field and even more so is a further abuse to people everywhere who have been victimized.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for anyone studying criminology or forensics!, April 4, 2010

By 

Eric Cartman "Becka" (BKK, TH) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forensic Victimology: Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts (Hardcover)

Great book on Forensic victimology. Many people underestimate the usefulness of victimology. Definitely worth a read, very reliable for research.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente texto para el Investigador Criminal, February 3, 2010

By 

Humberto Lucero (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forensic Victimology: Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts (Hardcover)

En mi caso personal, me dedico a la enseñanza universitaria de posgrado y a la práctica de la Psiquiatría Forense, del Perfilado Criminal y Geográfico y de la Victimología; el libro de Turvey me ha servido para actualizar mis conocimientos y hacer mas efectivo mi trabajo como catedrático e investigador.