Dr. Richard H. Ward has been selected as the dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven. Ward will assume the leadership of the Henry C. Lee College, named for the world's foremost forensic scientist and criminalist who began the forensics program in 1975 and is home to the academic program in victim studies. Ward comes to UNH with strong experience in academic and higher education leadership positions, including positions at Sam Houston State University (SHSU), the University of Illinois, Chicago, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Dr. Janet Wilson, University of Central Arkansas, is serving as Editor of The Praeger Handbook of Victimology. Dr. Wilson's goal is to work with about 100 contributors who will each complete a couple of brief entries. In addition to the 200 entries, the volume will include a chronology of key events in the development of the discipline (including the passage of important pieces of legislation) and a resource guide that identifies applicable organizations, web sites, suggested readings, and journals. To obtain a contributor information form, submission guidelines, and lists of entries, contact Dr. Wilson at JWilson@uca.edu.

The survey for the Responding to Crime Victims with Disabilities National Conference will be available through the first week of August. Your input is greatly appreciated.

JCVVS e-newsletter reviews offer a brief synopsis of research and programs relevant to violence and victim studies. Brevity does not allow for comprehensive analysis, rather key points and observations for further review and consideration. Reviews are provided by persons affiliated by the JCVVS and do not necessarily reflect the position of the JCVVS or the affiliate Universities.

Author: Natalie J. Sokoloff with Christina Pratt

Title: Domestic violence at the margins: Readings on race, class, gender and culture. (2006).

Publisher: Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, NJ.

Reviewed by: Tracy L. Tamborra

Natalie Sokoloff's anthology, Domestic Violence at the Margins, paints a complex picture of the current state of domestic violence victims, services and polices. Insightful chapters from both practitioners and academics are included. As a former practitioner in an ethnically diverse large city, I can attest to the accurate portrayal of women affected by violence, racism, poverty and structural oppression. And as an academic, I am impressed by the breath and depth of which the subject is addressed in the anthology.

The overarching theme of the anthology is intersectionality. Intersectionality refers to the convergence of issues faced by many victims, including but not limited to racism, classism, gender oppression and homophobia. The chapters written by women and men from diverse backgrounds illuminate the differing experiencing of African-American, Latino, Lesbian, Asian and Caucasian women victims; with particular attention given to impoverished women from each of these groups. While group differences are noted, Sokoloff's and Pratt's chapter introductions and commentary, as well as the chapters' description of structural oppression as the root cause of domestic violence, highlight the commonalities that exist among women victims of domestic violence.

Although most chapters present the varying experiences of individual women and communities, the reader cannot help but notice that most chapters reference the role of the criminal justice system, policy makers and society in general, in the lives of marginalized victims of domestic violence. The reader is left to consider that structural power imbalances and poverty often result in many victims of domestic violence being disregarded and excluded from services and assistance. While the reader may feel a sense of despair about the current state of services and policies, the reader is simultaneously given hope that change is possible. Many chapters offer alternative, community-based solutions. This book is a must read for advocates, law enforcement, social workers, students and anyone vested in examining and improving current domestic violence policies and practices.

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