Survivor Criminology

Book blurbs often include hyperbole such as "ground-breaking" and extoll the contribution as unique and important--Survivor Criminology: A Radical Act of Hope actually delivers on that promise. This astonishing and poignant compilation challenges the status quo in a manner that is long overdue, and that will have criminologists talking for years to come.

-- Elicka Peterson Sparks, Appalachian State University

This ground-breaking anthology pushes the critical criminological envelope and sensitizes us to the fact that our colleagues’ lived experiences are vital research methods, theoretical perspectives, and pedagogical tools. The stories featured in each chapter are inspirational and will influence a new generation of progressive scholars to avoid walking down the well-worn path of abstract empiricism. The editors and authors are to be celebrated for their courage, dedication, and for inviting us to join them in their storming of the orthodox criminological Bastille.

-- Walter S. DeKeseredy, West Virginia University

This must-read volume does a masterful job of breaking the silence regarding the lived experiences of sexual violence, trauma, anti-blackness and other abuses of so many criminologists and social scientists. As Stanko notes, 'speaking about my own experiences felt too intrusive.' Decades later, I still have not spoken publicly about my own. Layered on our personal experiences is that abuse we get by a shocking number of rape and rapist apologists just for studying the topic of violence against women. To be honest, there have been times I’ve felt that nothing has changed. This volume shows me that I’m wrong about that. There is hope. Times are changing, silence is breaking and we are not alone in our lived experiences. Kudos to all the authors in this volume who are speaking up and making needed change.

-- Callie Rennison, University of Colorado, Denver

This book challenges criminology to become a more humanistic and self-critical discipline. Drawing from intersectional feminism, the authors courageously document their experiences of violence, institutional discrimination, and broader social inequalities. Survivor Criminology is a hopeful book that will speak to students who bear their own scars of violence and injustice.

-- James Ptacek, Emeritus Professor, Suffolk University

Survivor Criminology is the book that we as a society and a discipline need! It is filled with information that allows the reader to understand victimization but more importantly how people survive and go on to change the world!

-- Shelly Clevenger, Sam Houston State University

Survivor Criminology challenges the presumptive objectivity of social science research, adding a welcome experiential component to theory, methods and practice. The contributors in this book provide lively and engaging reflections on how their personal experiences of victimization, their identity, and their social locations interact with canonical criminological themes. The result is a more holistic understanding of some of the most pressing issues confronting our society in addition to a roadmap of how resilience and insight contribute to the journey toward justice.

-- Susan L. Miller, University of Delaware

Survivor Criminology: A Radical Act of Hope is a beautifully collected anthology of narratives that speak of courage and resilience in the face of trauma and the call for a new approach to victims and victimization in the field of criminology- Survivor Criminology. The editors accomplished something incredible in creating the foundation for a much-needed shift in our discipline. The breadth and depth of experiences and the collective path navigating pain and recovery is palpable. Chapter 1, and the raw emotion in the words recounting sexual assault and the heart-wrenching aftermath, set the stage for the remaining chapters. The brave retelling of domestic violence, rape and trauma, the continued exposure to the systemic and pervasive racism, coupled with the bigoted gatekeeping of academia is brought full circle with a feeling of hope and optimism for the future of victimology and a sorely needed respect and honoring of survivors, in all their many forms- victims and perpetrators. This edited volume is a must read for all, whether student, academic, practitioner, and/or survivor and anyone interested in poignant journeys of trauma, healing, and hope.

-- Maria João Lobo Antunes, Towson Univer