Research on violence in Western societies has increased in recent years. The reasons for this development are manifold ranging from the rise of certain patterns of violence, or a new sensitivity in the population, to a return of atavistic forms of violence, and a shift to new societal areas of violent activities. What has been missing to date, however, is a systematic overview of the relevant findings in various academic disciplines. This handbook: brings together 62 articles written by authors from ten different countries; describes the long term development of relevant violence research and addresses current tendencies; pays special attention to sociological research - to violence as a social phenomenon, for example; deals with various socio-structural relations and their impact on violence, socialization and the learning of violence, experiences of violence and violent activities, results of victimology, violence in the public space and the use of violence by political groups or by state institutions; covers the whole dynamic process of violent activities; provides discourses, justifications, and interpretations of violence; provides analyses based on socio-psychological, historical, political and legal research or with a background in socio-biology or cultural studies; and paints a complex picture that displays an area of complicated research on questions of order, destruction and power. The text should be relevant to those working in the areas of criminology, sociology, social science and law.