This encyclopedia explores violence in the United States, from the nation’s founding to modern-day trends, laws, viewpoints, and media depictions. Providing a nuanced lens through which to think about violence in America, including its underlying causes, its iterations, and possible solutions, this work offers broad and authoritative coverage that will be immensely helpful to users ranging from high school and undergraduate students to professionals in law enforcement and school administration.

In addition to detailed and evenhanded summaries of the key events and issues relating to violence in America, contributors highlight important events, political debates, legal perspectives, modern dimensions, and critical approaches. This encyclopedia also features excerpts from such important primary source documents as legal rulings, presidential speeches, and congressional testimony from scholars and activists on aspects of violence in America. Together, these documents provide important insights into past and present patterns of violent crime in the United States, as well as proposed solutions to those problems.

Features

• Addresses all aspects of violence in American society, past and present, including societal factors and legal, political, and law enforcement responses
• Includes lists of research resources for additional study
• Highlights insightful primary documents of key events and patterns of violence in America
• Features contributions from prominent scholars in a wide range of fields related to crime, violence, and law