Dr. Maria Tcherni is currently an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice with concentration in Forensic Psychology at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Her main research interests are in explaining the effects of structural causes - such as poverty, racial composition of areas, and disruption of family structure - on violence. For example, why is it that growing up in poverty is more likely to lead to being violent than to becoming a thief? Why is child neglect rather than child abuse more likely to lead to violence later in life, when the neglected children grow up? Why are adolescents from poor families more likely to smoke, drink, and engage in risky sexual behaviors? This book is aimed at explaining all these and many other questions. Dr. Tcherni's other research interests focus on how social networking and the changing interaction patterns affect current downward crime trends, especially as related to violent crime and homicide.