About this Book
Forensic Victimology is the scientific study of victims for the purposes of addressing investigative and forensic issues. The social scientist researching victim-offender relationships; the investigator going through a victim’s garbage or cell phone records; the criminal profiler reading a victim’s diary or making a “friends and family” list; the forensic nurse taking a victim history or looking for evidence of injury; the reconstructionist examining a victim’s toxicology or making a timeline of activities leading up to their demise; the psychiatrist or psychologist performing a mental health assessment; the medical examiner establishing a victim’s place of employment or last meal – each collects, examines, and interprets evidence related to forensic victimology. Their work serves criminal investigation and anticipates courtroom testimony.
The second edition of Forensic Victimology continues the applied presentation of a traditionally theoretical subject. It distinguishes the investigative and forensic aspects of applied victim study as a necessary adjunct to what is often a theoretical field. It then identifies forensic victimologists and provides them with the methods and standards of practice needed to be of service.