Life

Early life

Born in Richmond, Virginia, Athens lived with his parents, Irene and Pete Athens. His early environment is characterized as being violent and Athens was the victim of domestic violence. He was educated at

Virginia Polytechnic Institute Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

, where he began by majoring in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

but later changed his major to

Sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

and Criminology. After graduating from Virginia Tech, Athens continued his criminology studies at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

Career

After college Athens continued to interview inmates about their criminal lives and social experiences. He based his study on

George Herbert Mead George Herbert Mead (February 27, 1863 – April 26, 1931) was an American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist, primarily affiliated with the University of Chicago, where he was one of several distinguished pragmatists. He is regarded a ...

, a philosopher who tried understanding how organisms acquire different traits. Athens focused on the areas of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

and

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

for his interviews. He also worked as a probation and parole officer in northern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

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 Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the ...

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.

Academic distinctions

*Winner of George Herbert Mead Award for Career Achievements from Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction *Winner of Scholar of the Year Award for Physical and Social Scientists from

*Past President of Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction *Advisory Editor for Symbolic Interaction (since 2004) *Deputy Editor for Studies in Symbolic Interaction (since 2007) *Member of Scientific Committee for International Society for Psychology and Law (since 2008)

Publications

*Athens, Lonnie, '' The Creation of Dangerous Violent Criminals'', University of Illinois Press, August 1, 1992, *Athens, Lonnie, ''Violent Criminal Acts and Actors Revisited'', University of Illinois Press, March 1, 1997, *Athens, Lonnie, Ulmer, Jeffery, ''Violent Acts and Violentization, Volume 4: Assessing, Applying and Developing Lonnie Athens' Theory and Research (Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance)'', JAI Press, December 27, 2002, *Athens, Lonnie, ''Violent Criminal Acts and Actors: A Symbolic Interactionist Study (International library of sociology)'', Routledge Kegan & Paul, June 1980,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Athens, Lonnie American criminologists Georgetown University staff Seton Hall University faculty Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century American writers 21st-century American writers