Research Guides: CJ 3300: Victimology: Victimization in the United States

Search Strategies

Whether you're using OneSearch or another library database, learning a few key search strategies will make your search process more effective. When using search engines like Google, you can type in whole questions or long phrases. But library databases are designed differently and require adjusting our search process. Use the following examples to help you brainstorm search terms and to find information relevant to your topic!

Search Terms

"crime victim*"
cyber-victimization OR cyberbullying
Victimization
Victimology
legislation OR policy OR laws
survivor
"rape law reform"
"college campus"
"college students"
"violence against women act"
"rape shield law"
"Title IX"
"Victims of Crime Act"
"SAFER Act"
"rape kit backlog"
"Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act"
"Criminal justice system"
"United States"
"mandatory reporting"

Searches

"rape law reform" AND legislation
victimization AND ("United States" OR America OR USA OR U.S.)
"victim services" AND police
("victim advocates" OR "victim advocacy" OR "victim services") AND (funding OR budget)
"child abuse" AND (reporting OR documentation) AND police

OneSearch [EBSCO]
Partially peer reviewed. Some full-text content. Videos. Audio Recordings.
OneSearch is the default search on the Fulton Library’s homepage. Includes the library’s books and videos, articles from many library databases, and more.
National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts [United States DOJ]
Partially peer reviewed. No full-text content. Open access.
Focuses on the field of criminal justice, including corrections, courts, crime, law enforcement, and more. Contains summaries of federal, state, and local government reports, as well as articles, books, research reports, and unpublished research.
Criminal Justice [Gale]
Partially peer reviewed. Some full-text content.
Informs the research process for those studying law, law enforcement, terrorism, homeland security, forensic science, and more. Contains content from more than 250 journals.

Books

Fear of Crime in the United States (Print Book) by Jodi Lane, Nicole E. Rader, Billy Henson, Bonnie S. Fisher, and David C. May
Publication Date: 2014

Fear of Crime in the United States: Causes, Consequences, and Contradictions examines the nature and extent of crime-related fear, discussing important research findings about this social problem over the past five decades. It discusses the improvement of fear of crime measures over time, the consistent finding that women are more afraid of crime, the impact of age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on fear, and the importance of environmental factors (such as witnessing crime and perceptions of diversity, disorder, and decline) and indirect victimization (through acquaintances and the media) on fear.
Silent victims: hate crimes against Native Americans (Print Book) by Barbara Perry
Publication Date: 2008

Hate crimes against Native Americans are a common occurrence, Barbara Perry reveals, although most go unreported. In this eye-opening book, Perry shines a spotlight on these acts, which are often hidden in the shadows of crime reports. She argues that scholarly and public attention to the historical and contemporary victimization of Native Americans as tribes or nations has blinded both scholars and citizens alike to the victimization of individual Native Americans. For this book, Perry interviewed nearly 300 Native Americans and gathered additional data in three geographic areas: the Four Corners region of the U.S. Southwest, the Great Lakes, and the Northern Plains. In all of these locales, she found that bias-related crime oppresses and segregates Native Americans. Perry's interviews with Native Americans recount instances of appalling treatment, often at the hands of law enforcement officials. In her conclusion, Perry draws from her research and interviews to suggest ways in which Native Americans can be empowered to defend themselves against all forms of racist victimization.
Sex Trafficking in the United States (Ebook) by Andrea Nichols
Publication Date: 2016

Sex Trafficking in the United States is a unique exploration of the underlying dynamics of sex trafficking. This comprehensive volume examines the common risk factors for those who become victims, and the barriers they face when they try to leave. It also looks at how and why sex traffickers enter the industry. A chapter on buyers presents what we know about their motivations, the prevalence of bought sex, and criminal justice policies that target them. Sex Trafficking in the United States describes how the justice system, activists, and individuals can engage in advocating for victims of sex trafficking. It also offers recommendations for practice and policy and suggestions for cultural change.
Indicators of School Crime and Safety (EBook) by Liam Shephard
Publication Date: 2018

Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community. Establishing reliable indicators of the current state of school crime and safety across the nation and regularly updating and monitoring these indicators are important for ensuring the safety of our nation's students. The report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber-bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions. Indicators of crime and safety are compared across different population subgroups and over time. Data on crimes that occur away from school are offered as a point of comparison where available.
Missoula: rape and the justice system in a college town (Print Book) by Jon Krakauer
Publication Date: 2015

"Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, with a highly regarded state university, bucolic surroundings, a lively social scene, and an excellent football team the Grizzlies with a rabid fan base. The Department of Justice investigated 350 sexual assaults reported to the Missoula police between January 2008 and May 2012. Few of these assaults were properly handled by either the university or local authorities. In this, Missoula is also typical. A DOJ report released in December of 2014 estimates 110,000 women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four are raped each year. Acquaintance rape is a crime like no other. Unlike burglary or embezzlement or any other felony, the victim often comes under more suspicion than the alleged perpetrator. This is especially true if the victim is sexually active; if she had been drinking prior to the assault and if the man she accuses plays on a popular sports team.
#BrokenPromises, Black Deaths, and Blue Ribbons (Ebook) by Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, Kerri J. Tobin, and Stephen M. Lentz (Editors)
Publication Date: 2018

Many urban centres are shaken to their core with mistrust between communities and law enforcement. Erosion was exacerbated in the Obama-era, intensified during the 2016 campaign, and is violently manifested in Trump's presidency. The promise of uniting communities articulated by leaders lays broken. The text suggests that promise of prosperous and engaged urban citizenry will remain broken until we can honestly address the following unanswered questions: What factors contribute to the creation of divided communities? What happened to erode trust between community and law enforcement? What concerns and challenges do law enforcement officials have relating to policing within urban centres? What are the experiences of residents and police? And, finally, whose lives really matter, and how do we move forward?