Book Review: Goodey, J., & Aromaa, K. (Eds.). (2008). Hate Crime: Papers From the 2006 and 2007 Stockholm Criminology Symposiums. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press. 76 pp

• Author: Doug Meyer
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567709335446
• Published date: 01 September 2009
• Date: 01 September 2009

glossary of words, phrases, acronyms, and abbreviations at the end of book to be very helpful. Addi-

tionally, this book shows how each concept, component, and key actor are interdependent, and how

they closely operate under the criminal justice system. Students interested in taking a course on

Introduction to Criminal Justice in England and Wales and even experienced practitioners would

find this book helpful. Additionally, from a comparative criminal justice perspective, college

instructors and students in the United States would find this book very valuable as well. The authors

provide comparative notes in several occasions. For example, explaining due process, the authors

state that ‘‘The principle of ‘due process’ is less developed in England and Wales than it is, e.g.

in the USA’’ (p. 39). Another example is how the authors discuss the adversarial system of justice.

According to the authors, ‘‘In contrast to many European continental systems of justice but in com-

mon with those such as the USA where the same method has been adopted, the UK has an adversarial

system’’ (p. 28).

In their foreword, Gibson and Cavadino write: ‘‘Throughout, we have tried to describe matters in

a way that will leave the reader with a clear picture. A primary aim has been to avoid undue complex-

ity, whilst nonetheless providing a sound description. The focus is on key features rather than min-

utiae. We hope that this approach will be of not only to the beginner... but also to the seasoned

practitioner ....’’ (p. viii). I believe that the authors achieve their aims. Many thanks to the authors

for this wonderful work.

Youngyol Yim

Slippery Rock University

Goodey, J., & Aromaa, K. (Eds.). (2008).

Hate Crime: Papers From the 2006 and 2007 Stockholm Criminology

Symposiums. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press. 76 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/1057567709335446

This edited volume contributes to the growing field of hate crime studies by examining the pol-

icies and data collection practices of several Western countries. It should appeal most to readers

interested in the policing and social constructionist aspects of hate-motivated violence. Although the

authors examine several forms of hate crime, most of the articles deal with racist violence. As a

result, this work will prove most useful for scholars and policy analysts examining racist violence

in the West. Despite this arguably limited focus, the volume presents important statistical data and

offers valuable insight into the sociolegal context of hate crime.

The volume includes an introductory chapter and six research-oriented chapters, each of which

focuses on a different geographical area. Several of these chapters use individual countries as case

studies for examining the development and institutionalization of data collection practices. For

instance, two articles examine hate-motivated violence in the Nordic countries of Sweden and

Finland. Interestingly, these countries define hate crime differently than many other countries. Klara

Klingspor outlines the Swedish definition: Perpetrators must belong to a majority group and victims

must belong to a minority group. Furthermore, Swedish police collect data on a wide range of hate-

motivated violence, allowing Klingspor to outline the common features of hate crime. She finds, for

example, that physical violence accounts for less than half of reported hate crimes, which may sug-

gest that hate-motivated violence usually occurs in insidious ways.

The first two articles in the volume examine racist violence more broadly—in Europe and the

United States. Erik Bleich’s article—one of the most interesting in the volume—provides a useful

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