Violence and Crime in Cross-national Perspective

Book excerpt: This prize-winning reference work provides data on crime in 110 nations and 44 major cities, making it possible for the first time to examine the patterns and causes of violent crime on a cross-national basis. "In this important book, Archer and Gartner take a major step toward providing and utilizing international data on crime and violence.... They have assembled the best cross-cultural database on criminal violence that has ever been compiled." -Michael L. Radelet, Contemporary Sociology "[The authors'] data and superior analyses make their conclusions more compelling than earlier studies with like or contrary results. Furthermore, the data set seems rich enough to yield similarly enlightening findings for other researchers." -Roy L. Austin, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science "Some highly significant data... [including] whether large cities have higher homicide rates than smaller cities; the deterrent effect of the death penalty on homicide rates; the etiology of urban violence." -Choice "An amazing analysis of a most wonderful series of data. Rarely has social science been blessed by the richness of material over so much time and over so much space as are represented by this volume." -Marvin E. Wolfgang, University of Pennsylvania