Violent offenders are usually defined by the crimes they commit—that is, violent offenders are offenders who have committed violent crimes—rather than by some inherent characteristic of the person, such as a genetic defect; no such defect or other similar definitive feature has ever been found. Thus, it is appropriate to describe individuals by their behaviors such as an individual with a history of violent offending or some similar descriptor rather than by using labels such as violent offenders that suggest the presence of some inherent personal features.

There is no universally accepted definition of violent crime; many researchers and authors use their own definitions. Generally speaking, however, crimes that cause physical or significant psychological harm to the victim are considered to be violent crime in ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles