Using the notion of ‘crossroads’ to provide a unique lens through which to examine the realities of rural crime, Crossroads of Rural Crime provides an understanding of the nature of rural life and ways in which transgression manifests itself in the context of a presumed rural-urban divide.

The key reference guide to rural crime and rural justice, this encyclopedia gives 70 concise and informative synopses of the key issues in rural crime, criminology, offending and victimisation, and both institutional and informal responses to rural crime.

In this first book in the Research in Rural Crime series, experts in rural criminology draw from theories of modernity, feminism, climate change, left realism and globalisation in a thought-provoking collection of essays.

Rural Victims of Crime offers a pioneering sustained assessment of ‘the rural victim’. It does so by examining and analysing the conceptual constructs of a victim and challenging the urban bias of victimisation and victimology in criminological study. Indeed, far too much criminological scholarship is based on the false assumption that rural areas are relatively crime free – and thus free, too, of victims. Providing international perspectives, chapters in this edited collection focus centrally on notions of place and space, and constructions of rural victims in a variety of contexts, exploring the impact that geographic location has on the type and prevalence of victimisation. The concept of victimisation is often considered in terms of interpersonal relationships between humans, neglecting the potent impact of victimisation of non-humans and the natural and built environment. Rural Victims of Crime discusses existing notions of victimology in relation to non-human subjects, broadening conceptualisations of the victim and associated impacts resulting from victimisation. Structured in three parts, Rural Victims of Crime conceptualises the rural victim, enhances understanding of the realities of rural victimisation and considers both formal and informal responses to rural victimisation. Chapters are accompanied by practical, contemporary case studies to connect theory with praxis. This book is an essential and valuable resource for academics, students and practitioners alike in the fields of criminology, criminal justice, rural studies, victimology, geography, sociology and spatiality.

Conducting rural criminological research exposes researchers to concerns such as absence or inadequate official data about crime and superficial rural-urban comparisons, rural isolation and distance from the researchers’ office to the study site, and lack of services or access to justice. This distinct cultural context means that studying rural crime requires creatively adapting existing research methods. Conducting research about or in rural settings requires unique researcher preparation, as everything from defining the space at the conception of a project to collecting and analyzing data differs from urban research. This book explores the various issues, challenges, and solutions for rural researchers in criminology. Integrating state of the art methodological approaches with practical illustrations, this book serves as an internationally comprehensive compendium of methods for students, scholars, and practitioners. While contributing to the growing field of rural criminology, it will also be of interest to those engaged with the related areas of rural health care, rural social work, and rural poverty.

This study explores the role that communications technologies can play in securing rural America's future. It develops several policy strategies and options to encourage economic development. The study was requested by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress and Senators Charles E. Grassley and Orrin G. Hatch. Chapter 1 provides a summary and policy conclusions. Chapter 2, "The Challenge for Rural America," describes unemployment, poverty, and out-migration and advocates upgrading the labor force. Chapter 3, "Rural America and the Changing Communication Infrastructure," proposes Rural Area Networks to deliver communication services to rural areas. Chapter 4, "Rural Development," explains a holistical approach to rural development that accompanies economic development by improving education, health care, and public administration capacities. Chapter 5, "Regulation and Rural Development," recommends that regulators must develop new regulatory approaches for rural areas. Finally, Chapter 6, "The Role of the Federal Government: Orchestrating Cooperation and Change," suggests that the Federal Government make rural development and the use of communications technologies a national priority. The appendix is a field journal that gives narrative impressions of the four states visited during the study: Kentucky, New Mexico, Washington, and Maine. The document contains a list of contributors, a glossary, and an index, as well as numerous figures, charts, tables, and photographs. (KS)

For a free 30-day online trial to this title, visit www.sagepub.com/freetrial In many ways, the two fields of victimology and crime prevention have developed along parallel yet separate paths, and the literature on both has been scattered across disciplines as varied as sociology, law and criminology, public health and medicine, political science and public policy, economics, psychology and human services, and others. The Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention brings together in one authoritative resource the dispersed information and knowledge on both victimology and crime prevention. With nearly 375 entries, this two-volume set moves victimology and crime prevention one step further into recognized scholarly fields whose research informs practice and whose practice informs research. Key Features Provides users with the most authoritative and comprehensive coverage available on victimology and crime prevention Presents victimology and crime prevention as their own separate, justifiable disciplines rather than subfields within more established disciplines Discusses the status of victims within the criminal justice system, as well as topics of deterring and preventing victimization in the first place and responding to victims′ needs Offers "anchor essays" written by leading scholars in their respective fields to provide starting points for investigating the more salient victimology and crime prevention topics Key Themes Business Prevention Actions Civil Justice System Correlates of Victimization Courts: Alternative Remedies Courts: Law and Justice Crime Prevention Crime Prevention Partnerships Criminal Justice System Fear of Crime Individual Protection Actions Interventions and Intervention Programs for Victim and Offender Intrafamilial Offenses Legislation and Statutes Media and Crime Prevention Methodology Offenses, Special Topics Official Crime Data Personal Offenses Property Offenses Psychological, Mental, and Physical Health Issues Residential Community Crime Prevention School and Workplace Offenses School-Based Crime Prevention Services and Treatment for Victims Theory Victimization Scales and Surveys Victimology Youth-Focused Crime Prevention The victimology–crime prevention nexus provides the foundation for a comprehensive and, hopefully, long-lasting approach to addressing the public′s risk of being victimized and aids individuals who are targeted by a criminal act. This is a welcome addition to any academic library. The availability in print and electronic formats provides students with convenient, easy access wherever they may be.