After college Athens continued to interview inmates about their criminal lives and social experiences. He based his study on George Herbert Mead, a philosopher who tried understanding how organisms acquire different traits. Athens focused on the areas of Iowa and California for his interviews. He also worked as a probation and parole officer in northern Virginia in 1986. He took all of his findings and his studies and put them together in the book, The Creation of Dangerous Violent Criminals, in which he discusses his theory and the cases he had to look at along the way. Athens now teaches criminology at Seton Hall University.
The Process of Violentization
Athens developed a theory known as "The Process of Violentization" which describes four stages in the development of violent actors. Stage 1 Brutalization: Within this stage, the individual engages in violent demeanor through observation and demonstration. This stage is divided into three types of experiences: 1) violent subjugation-personally assaulted or threatened 2) personal horrification-witness others assaulted or threatened 3) violent coaching-taught how to execute violent behavior. Stage 2 Belligerency: In this stage, the subject reinforces his warlike attitude to the situation by a method of different steps. With this repeating behavior they get emotionally attached to what they are doing. Because of this emotional attachment, the individual resorts to violence as a means to control and dominate others any time they are provoked. Stage 3 Violent Performances: After surpassing the previous two stages, the individual executes violent behavior towards subordinates. In this stage, they begin to feel most comfortable with what they are doing because they start to gain respect, celebrity status, and fear from others. Stage 4 Virulency: This stage defines the individual as violent and dangerous in which they use violence to gain control of others, earn respect, instill fear, and make others feel powerless, shamed, and humiliated; feelings that they avoid and no longer feel in themselves. The individual has created a violent self-image for himself/herself.
Types of Interpretations Athens explained the four types of interpretations and linked primary emotions related to violence. 1) Physical defensive: Fear based and focus on how a physical attack is or will be made 2) Frustrative: Anger based by which they individual notices resistance and action he/she does not want to execute. 3) Malefic: hate based in which the individual views the negative character of others and utilizes violence as his/her response. 4) Frustrative-Malefic: Hatred and anger based.
Athens, Lonnie, Ulmer, Jeffery, Violent Acts and Violentization, Volume 4: Assessing, Applying and Developing Lonnie Athens' Theory and Research , JAI Press, December 27, 2002,
Additional References 1) Mark A. Winton. 2011. “Violentization Theory and Genocide.” Homicide Studies 15 363-381. External Links https://books.google.com/books?id=Int6ozC_HLIC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=identify+and+describe+the+four+stages+of+violentization&source=bl&ots=1jLUVazty8&sig=1FCLJyQkjbU-ADsFKpRGMaUdBFc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiUjqax8r3eAhURHHwKHWbhAP84ChDoATAJegQIBxAB#v=onepage&q=identify%20and%20describe%20the%20four%20stages%20of%20violentization&f=false
