摘要：It is a sad reality that South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Especially the nature and incidence of violent crimes elicit great concern (Nedcor Crime Index 1999 - also see http://www.saps.co.za). It is therefore understandable that attempts are being made at various levels and in several domains in South Africa to rectify the situation. However, such attempts do not always succeed and important areas are not always covered. One of the domains that is neglected is research that pertains to violent criminals, especially with regard to the identifiable characteristics that may be used in the prediction and prevention of future violent behaviour.
