Criminal profiling pioneer Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess charts her journey from groundbreaking researcher of sexual violence to one of the first women on the elite FBI team, conducting forensic interviews of high profile serial killers, testifying at trials, and revolutionizing police and prosecutorial procedures in the process, offering readers a look into the inner workings of the FBI.
A KILLER BY DESIGN:
How the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit Learned To Hunt Serial Killers and Understand Criminal Minds
by Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Constantine
Hachette US, 2022
“In the early 1970’s, sexual assault wasn’t talked about. It was viewed as indecent or attributed to the fringes of society, dismissed as a women’s issue — as if men weren’t even involved. But this perception showed a stark disconnect from reality and facts. At the time, forcible rape was one of four major violent crimes in the United States. It was a large-scale problem that was further compounded by a lack of treatment options available for managing the emotional and traumatic effects that victims of rape struggled with most. Hospitals only treated a victim’s physical trauma, law enforcement hadn’t yet developed standards for processing their cases, and academics largely avoided the topic as too controversial for studies or research. But ignoring the problem wasn’t a solution. It was complicity. It added to the stigma and misperceptions that allowed rapists a sense of impunity and kept victims powerless to speak out. It made it worse.”
This was the grim reality that Ann Burgess, then a doctoral graduate with a degree in psychiatric nursing, found when she decided to get involved in the study of rape and sexual assault, choosing a topic that few others saw as worth the trouble. But what she called the complete “absence of understanding” surrounding this urgent issue left her no choice. Fortunately, she connected with a medical sociologist, Lynda Lytle Holmstrom, with whom Ann created the first ever formalized study of rape from the victim’s perspective, and through countless interviews with rape survivors ultimately proved that rape is more about dominance and control than sex. The impact of this early work was groundbreaking. It led to the development of the first rape crisis centers, created new police standards, and resulted in an increase in rape trials with outcomes that favored the victim. It also captured the attention of the FBI Academy, leading Burgess to become one of the first female consultants hired by the agency.
The book will include fascinating true accounts of high-profile serial killers to offer readers an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the FBI, where she was a colleague of John Douglas of Mindhunter fame. And it will engage readers through a vivid narrative that combines authentic criminal profiling sessions, interviews with serial sexual killers, courtroom trials, and firsthand accounts of victims to show how the rape movement began, how far it’s come, where it stands today and how this work is one of the cornerstones of today’s #MeToo Movement.
Ann Wolbert Burgess, D.N.Sc., APRN, FAAN, is a widely recognized pioneer in the treatment of victims of rape, trauma and abuse. She has received numerous honors including The Living Legend Award from the American Academy of Nursing, the American Nurses’ Association Hildegard Peplau Award, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Audrey Hepburn Award. She is the namesake of the Ann Burgess Forensic Nursing Award, presented annually by The International Association of Forensic Nurses. She regularly appears as an expert witness to offer courtroom testimony for high-profile cases involving violent serial offenders, child abuse, and sexual crime. Her courtroom testimony has been described as “groundbreaking.” Ann is a professor at Boston College Connell School of Nursing where she teaches graduate courses in forensic nursing. Before that she held faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University.
Despite being a trained midwife, Illiyin’s own birth experience was traumatic and led her to examine the effects of birth trauma more deeply. She has grown to appreciate the need for greater understanding of what took place during childbirth and why, in order to facilitate healing during the postnatal period. Using her own experience as a midwife and mother Illiyin plans to dispel myths and taboos around pregnancy and give women and birthing people the tools to manage and alleviate the effects of birth trauma. Illiyin will also be giving practical tips and exercises throughout the book to help readers understand and manage any birth related trauma while transitioning into postnatal life – whether it is the first or fifth baby.
In the last census, Britain recorded over 1.2 million people who identified as mixed race. 6% of children under the age of 5 identify as mixed race, a higher number than any other Black and ethnic minority group in the country. So, why is it so hard for mixed race people to navigate their identity?
The smartphone. How could a small device have become so life-defining so quickly? Can we change this situation without having to do without too many things? Christoph Koch says, yes, we can. For many years he has been dealing with the topics of internet abstinence and online addiction. With scientifically supported findings, he explains what is behind all this. Why are apps so addicting? What is happening in the brain? Why is almost no one resistant to it? Which business models are based on this? And what do experts say? Koch’s 30-day challenge shows why it is worth reducing online consumption and how one can benefit both physically and mentally through a more aware interaction with digital media. Motivating, entertaining, easy to implement – a guide for creating a digital balance.
The nose sits in the middle of the face, yet most people know surprisingly little about it. Yet our ENT department manages a large part of our perception – apart from breathing. Next to the eyes, the nose, ears and throat form our most important connection to the outside world. Dr. Christine Löber explains in best pop science manner how smelling works, where the voice comes from and why cotton swabs have no place in the ear. She makes us impressively aware of the influence the ENT area has on our psyche. And she gives tips on how to keep the throat, nose and ears healthy. The great knowledge book about the throat, nose and ears.