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Book Reviews : Athens, L. H.: Violent Criminal Acts and Actors - a Symbolic Interactionist Study, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1980. 104 pp

The atmosphere of drama surrounding violent crimes, which can easily appear so unique, has led many researchers to propose psychological explanations. Aggressive acts in violent gangs, for example, were analyzed by Yablonsky partly as a result of the sociopathic personalities and needs occurring predominantly among the leaders. Another scholar, Toch, has argued that violent criminals bear a close resemblance to children who have learned to use force as a compensatory tool. Athens’ book, based on his dissertation, earns credit for being relieved from such explanations. A large part of the book consists of interviews with inmates incarcerated for substantial violent crimes such as aggravated assault, forcible rape and criminal homocide. The extensive quotations mirror the author’s skill in establishing contact with the offenders. Furthermore, his analysis is distanced as well as nuanced.