Hidden Victims

Annotation In the US, murderers, particularly those sentenced to death, are usually considered as entirely different from the rest of us. Sociologist Susan F. Sharp challenges perspective by reminding us that those facing a death sentence, in addition to being murderers, are brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, daughters or sons.

"Sharp’s book reemphasizes the tremendous costs of maintaining the death penalty—costs to real people and real families that ripple throughout generations to come."—Saundra D. Westervelt, author of Shifting the Blame: How Victimization Became a Criminal Defense "Everyone concerned with the effects of capital punishment must have this book."—Margaret Vandiver, professor, department of criminology and criminal justice, University of Memphis Murderers, particularly those sentenced to death, are considered by most to be unusually heinous, often sub-human, and entirely different from the rest of us. In Hidden Victims, sociologist Susan F. Sharp challenges this culturally ingrained perspective by reminding us that those individuals facing a death sentence, in addition to being murderers, are brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, daughters or sons, relatives or friends. Through a series of vivid and in-depth interviews with families of the accused, she demonstrates how the exceptionally severe way in which we view those on death row trickles down to those with whom they are closely connected. Sharp shows how family members and friends—in effect, the indirect victims of the initial crime—experience a profoundly complicated and socially isolating grief process. Departing from a humanist perspective from which most accounts of victims are told, Sharp makes her case from a sociological standpoint that draws out the parallel experiences and coping mechanisms of these individuals. Chapters focus on responses to sentencing, the particular structure of grieving faced by this population, execution, aftermath, wrongful conviction, family formation after conviction, and the complex situation of individuals related to both the killer and the victim. Powerful, poignant, and intelligently written, Hidden Victims challenges all of us—regardless of which side of the death penalty you are on—to understand the economic, social, and psychological repercussions that shape the lives of the often forgotten families of death row inmates.

Social scientist, victim advocate, and the mother of a murder victim - Deborah Spungen is well acquainted with all facets of what she defines as "the blackest hell accompanied by a pain so intense that even breathing becomes an unendurable labor." In Homicide: The Hidden Victims, Spungen illustrates just how and why family members become co-victims when a loved one is murdered, and she poignantly addresses the emotional, physical, spiritual, and psychological effects of such traumatic events. The timely information and innovative modalities discussed in this book make it ideal for mental health and criminal justice professionals, pastoral counselors, social workers, and victim advocates.

When mentally deranged Ken Franck kills four people, he shatters the lives not only of their families, but of his own family. However, his other victims refuse to let hate destroy them. When the victim's son marries, his best man is the murderer's son.

Written by an experienced groupworker and academic, this book promotes greater knowledge and understanding of groupwork and group processes, particularly in social work and social care settings. Incorporating both theory and practice, it provides a practical guide to those considering groupwork, and further inspiration for those already involved. The book incorporates a number of case examples of groups run in mainstream social work, social care and multidisciplinary settings. Skills-based in approach, this original text includes: illustrative group examples quotes from groupworkers key learning points based on research activities to develop practice suggestions for further reading. Published in association with Community Care Magazine, the book meets the changing needs of today’s students and practitioners in social care and is a welcome addition to the current literature.

This practical new text encourages students to develop a deeper understanding of the current context and workings of the criminal justice system, and is of particular use for students and for practitioners in the criminal justice arena.

This book offers unparalleled insight into the ways in which hate crime affects individuals and communities across the world. Drawing from the testimonies of more than 2,000 victims of hate crime, the book identifies the physical, emotional and community-level harms associated with hate crimes and key implications for justice in the context of punitive, restorative, rehabilitative and educative interventions. Hate crime constitutes one of the biggest global challenges of our time and blights the lives of millions of people across the world. Within this context the book generates important new knowledge on victims’ experiences and expectations, and uses its compelling evidence-base to identify fresh ways of understanding, researching and responding to hate crime. It also documents the sensitivities associated with undertaking complex fieldwork of this nature, and in doing so offers an authentic account of the very necessary – and sometimes unconventional – steps which are fundamental to the process of engaging with ‘hard-to-reach’ communities.