ABSTRACT
This chapter considers whether the two types of offenders are in fact different by looking at the relationship of the victim-offender relationship to recidivism, versatility, and specialization in a sample of prisoners incarcerated for violent crimes. It aims to increase public knowledge about offenders who commit violent crimes and how they differ from general criminal offenders. Such offenders’ reports of their motives, methods, and self-perceptions can help us understand the circumstances in which crimes are committed and the probable effects of criminal justice policies on crime. The chapter also considers the connection between the victim-offender relationship and the offenders’ criminal record. It is expected that offenders who victimize strangers will have longer, more extensive juvenile and adult criminal records, more motor vehicle accidents, and more serious substance abuse problems than offenders who victimize nonstrangers. The chapter examines variability and patterns in committing crimes.
