Dr Antony Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, has published a theoretically-ground-breaking article on the rise in lethal violence in post-2008 recession United Kingdom in the British Journal of Criminology. His article offers theoretical analysis and reflections on the recent rises in lethal violence recorded in the United Kingdom. The rises have attracted considerable media attention. More informed discussions have drawn plausible causal associations between rising lethal violence and the policy context of austerity. Criminology, however, has been relatively silent so far on the recent rises and this potential association. In response, Anthony’s article critically considers the utility of one of the most widely cited theoretical frameworks in the study of historical patterns of violence in the western nations: the ‘civilizing process’. It then moves on to consider the applicability of insights from the ultra-realist criminological perspective. The article suggests that the ultra-realist concept of the ‘pseudo-pacification process’ provides a useful means of furthering our understanding of these rises in the current socioeconomic context of post-crash capitalism.

---