These studies recover the historical roots of thinking that are in conflict with, and critical of, present-day tendencies. Criminological theory over the last few decades has oscillated between extremes: on one side there are calls for increasing the state exercise of punitive power as the only means of providing security, in the face of both urban and international rime; while the other side highlights the need for reducing the exercise of punitive power because of the paradoxical effects that it produces. Useful for academics, practitioners, professionals and students, this book will certainly contribute to a wider awareness in crime prevention and criminal justice.

Victimology and Criminal Law is a major contribution to the development and the influence of victimology in the world. In certain concrete situations, one must consider not only the perpetrator of the crime, but that the victim, even though presumably innocent, may have the sensation of being an intruder. In this book, Professor Edmundo Oliveira offers a clear and comprehensive overview of the historical, conceptual, legal, and practice oriented aspects of victimology. He specifically focuses on psychology and penal law as they relate to the survivor of the crime, by highlighting themes of personal blame, provocation, participation and diminished responsibility. The path of victimization is fully analyzed in detail within this study. Victimologists and criminologists dedicate themselves to studying the polemical, controversial challenges and intense issues raised by delinquency as a whole. This book is a significant advance, emphasizing a different role for the victim. Academics, practitioners, law students, and professionals will find this book useful as a springboard for enlightening debates that will lead to new approaches on intervention for survivors of crime.