Unleashed

Simon Harding is a criminologist and lecturer on crime, policing and community safety at Middlesex University, North London. Simon obtained his doctorate in youth justice at the Vauxhall Centre for the Study of Crime at University of Bedfordshire. He has worked in the fields of crime and community safety for over 25 years, including for the Home Office and several local authorities. He is currently researching gangs in South London.

• Introduction; Methodological challenges of researching status dogs; Who let the dogs out?; Myth or menace?; Motivations and characteristics of owners; Presenting the evidence; Off the chain: the issue of dog-fighting; The implications for public space; Responses; Conclusion; Afterword.

"This book explores the hidden world of young men and gangs and their desire for dangerous or aggressive dogs, while providing fascinating sociological insight and commentary on this recent phenomenon." Professor Anthony Goodman, Middlesex University, UK