Violence in the Balkans : First Findings from the Balkan Homicide Study

• Superior document: SpringerBriefs in Criminology
• Author: Getos Kalac, Anna-Maria.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: SpringerBriefs in Criminology
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (124 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

This is the first volume to offer an in-depth look at (lethal) violence in the Balkans. The Balkans Homicide Study analyses 3,000 (attempted) homicide cases from Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania and Slovenia. Shedding light on a region long neglected in terms of empirical violence research, the study at hand asks: - What types of homicides occur in the Balkans? - Who are the perpetrators and what motivates them? - Who are the victims and what potential protective factors are on their side? - Why do prosecutors dismiss homicide investigations? Amongst other questions and considerations, this brief discusses regional commonalities throughout the Balkans in view of their cultural,historical and normative context. Dismantling negative stereotypes of a growing and thriving Balkan society, this volume will be of interest to researchers in the Balkans, researchers of post-conflict regions, and those interested in the nature of homicide and its motivation, prevention, and various criminal justice approaches.

Table of Contents

Intro -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction to the Balkan Homicide Study -- 1.1 Background -- 1.2 Conceptual Framework -- 1.3 Terminology -- References -- Chapter 2: Balkanisation in European Homicide Research -- 2.1 Homicide as a Yardstick -- 2.2 A Stocktaking of European Homicide Research -- 2.3 The European Homicide Monitor -- 2.4 Unique Challenges in a Balkanised Setting -- References -- Chapter 3: Criminological Violence Research in the Balkans: Context and Setting -- 3.1 Historical, Cultural, and Legal Context

3.1.1 Violent Balkan Images and Stereotypes -- 3.1.2 The Balkans as a Historical Space Sui Generis -- 3.1.3 The Balkans as a Legal and Cultural Region -- 3.2 Criminological Research Setting -- 3.2.1 Criminology in Southeastern Europe -- 3.2.2 The "Balkan Way" of Funding Research -- 3.2.3 Criminal Justice Systems of the Balkans -- References -- Chapter 4: The Balkan Homicide Study: Research Design and Operationalization -- 4.1 Objectives -- 4.1.1 Social Construction of Violence -- 4.1.2 Empirical Realities of Violence -- 4.2 Methodology -- 4.2.1 Case File Analysis -- 4.2.2 Research Instrument

4.2.3 BHS Violence Typology -- 4.2.4 Cautious Use of BHS Typology and Data -- 4.3 Sample -- 4.3.1 Sampling -- 4.3.2 Statistical Context: BHS Representativeness -- 4.3.3 Normative Context: BHS Comparability -- 4.3.4 Sample Description -- 4.4 Field Work -- References -- Chapter 5: Violence in the Balkans: Regional Commons and Country Specifics -- 5.1 Incident Characteristics -- 5.1.1 Missing Incident Data -- 5.1.2 Attempted vs. Completed Homicides -- 5.1.3 Types of (Non)Lethal Violence -- 5.1.4 (Lethal) Violence Between Strangers -- 5.1.5 Intimate Partner Violence

5.1.6 (Attempted) Homicide Followed by Suicide -- 5.1.7 Firearms and (Lethal) Violence -- 5.1.8 Alcohol and (Lethal) Violence -- 5.1.9 The Organized Crime Violence Nexus -- 5.1.10 (Lethal) Violence and Cruelty -- 5.2 Offender Characteristics -- 5.2.1 Missing Offender Data -- 5.2.2 Merging Databases with Different Counting Units -- 5.2.3 General Offender Characteristics -- 5.2.4 Male (Lethal) Violence -- 5.3 Victim Characteristics -- 5.3.1 Missing Victim Data -- 5.3.2 General Victim Characteristics -- 5.3.3 Victimization and Victim-Offender Alcohol Intoxication -- 5.4 Procedural Characteristics

5.4.1 Missing Procedural Data -- 5.4.2 Detection of (Lethal) Violence -- 5.4.3 Detention and Criminal Procedure -- References -- Chapter 6: Key Findings and Preliminary Conclusions -- 6.1 The BHS Research Questions in Light of Its Findings -- 6.2 The Power to (Re)Define and Deal with (Lethal) Violence -- 6.3 The Phenomenology of (Lethal) Violence in the Balkans -- 6.4 On the Definability, Measurability, Severity, and Homicidality of Violence -- Appendix: Scope of Missing Data by Variable and Country -- Index