Book Review: Moriarty, L. J. and Jerin, R. A. (Ed.) Current Issues in Victimology Research, 2nd Ed. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2007. xvi pp., 318 pp

• DOI: 10.1177/0734016809349174
• Published date: 01 March 2010
• Date: 01 March 2010
• Subject Matter: Articles

banned in public. Overt racist comments (e.g., Don Imus, Michael Richards, etc.) routinely invoke a

strong and effective outcry for sanction. The result of this is a political correctness that ‘‘has proven

tragically effective at hiding racism, not just healing it.’’

The central premise of the text is that political correctness, or a fear among whites of inadver-

tently uttering a racial insult in the public arena, has thwarted our ability to respond effectively to

racism. Society should not merely dismiss expressions of racial paranoia. These feelings are real and

deep seated in the collective social psyche of blacks. Second, it is not enough to merely ‘‘demand

that people (expressing racial paranoia) provide irrefutable evidence for their accusations or shut the

hell up ....’’ Rather, it is our obligation to confront this paranoia and deal with its resulting conflict

and misunderstanding as reasonable adults. Otherwise, we as a society will never be able to move

beyond our demons.

Given the importance and timeliness of this subject, the text is amazingly short, only 218 pages

not includingendnotes and back matter. Race relations, or the lack thereof,have defined the American

experience from thebeginning of the republic. One would think thatsuch an important subject would

demand more space. Second, the author refers to racism as ‘‘an American dilemma.’’ Admittedly, he

does not explicitly argue that racism occurs only in America, but the implication is there. Despite our

faults, America is neither the inventor nor the franchisor of racism. While this does not excuse our

lack of effective response, the roots of racism run deep in the human experience. Third, the text

would benefit from more rigorous organization. The author’s style is chatty and sometimes unfo-

cused. The message is there and it is important. Parsing it out is difficult. Finally, the text would

benefit from an alternative perspective. The author does an excellent job of explaining how the black

experience produces racial paranoia. This is one of the text’s most useful contributions. Unfortu-

nately, there is no discussion from the White perspective. The response one might receive at the

mere mention of this may indeed prove the author’s point. Such a criticism is decidedly politically

incorrect. It is, however, an important perspective to discuss. If it is legitimate to discuss the nature

and function of racial paranoia within the Black community, and it is, then it would seem justifiable

to explore the origins of the attitudes and behaviors toward Blacks within the White community.

It is likely trite to argue the timeliness of this issue. When has race and racial relations ever been

an untimely discussion in America? However, this text at this time makes an important contribution.

Jackson confronts the reader with an assortment of thought-provoking issues. His message should

resonate with the entire American community. To the extent that they are encouraged to confront

their deep-seated, and maybe suppressed, feelings, non-minorities will benefit from the text.

Probably, the greatest contribution this text makes is that it attempts, for likely the first time, to

explain the pain caused by racial paranoia within the minority community. Most of us have experi-

enced the bittersweet feeling we get when our physicians finally tell us what is physically wrong

with us or when our therapists give us permission to feel the way we do. It is likely that victims

of racial paranoia may find ‘‘comfort’’ in finally learning that their feelings are not imagined.

Moriarty, L. J. and Jerin, R. A. (Ed.)

Current Issues in Victimology Research, 2nd Ed. Durham, NC: Carolina

Academic Press, 2007. xvi pp., 318 pp.

Reviewed by: John P. J. Dussich, California State University, Fresno

DOI: 10.1177/0734016809349174

This collection of 18 articles represent a fresh new look at both traditional topics and some new areas

in victimology. It serves as a significant resource to update students, scholars, and practitioners on

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