This timely book presents a data-driven approach to preventing and responding to school violence. As school violence receives increasing attention across the nation, the application of scientific knowledge is critical. For maximum effectiveness, transdisciplinary teams should use school data, logic models, and theories of change to design, implement, and evaluate interventions. Collaboration among key stakeholders is also necessary to address both structural and systemic barriers to success with violence prevention. With concrete methods for promoting safety in primary and secondary educational settings, this book will engage and enable school faculty, counselors, administrators, and other partners to better understand areas of common interest and learn how to work together more effectively.

Safe School Ambassadors is an essential guide for school administrators, counselors, teachers, parents, and youth organization leaders. It challenges the current "outside-in" thinking?that keeping schools safe is accomplished primarily by adults through heightened security and stricter policies. It makes the case for a complementary ?inside-out? approach that taps the power of students to change the social norms of a school culture in order to stop bullying and violence.

Restoring Safe School Communities: a whole school response to bullying,violence and alienation introduces a whole school approach to addressing the problems of bullying and violence in schools. Author Brenda Morrison proposes a continuum of responsive and restorative practices for building safe school communities. The first, most proactive, level of practices aims to develop all students' social and emotional competencies, to enable students to resolve their differences in caring and respectful ways. The second level of practices widens the circle of care around the participants. Typically this level of response occurs when the problem has become more protracted or has involved (and affected) a larger number of people, and involves other members of the school community stepping in to assist in the resolution of the conflict or concern. The third and final level of practices involves the participation of an even wider cross-section of the school community, including parents, guardians, social workers, and others who have been affected. This tertiary level of intervention is normally only used for serious incidents within the school. Morrison explains the thinking behind the suggested responses and shows how they can be implemented by practices such as a responsible citizen program and restorative justice circles and conferences.

... This book provides step-by-step instruction for implementing a narrative-based approach as an alternative to traditional discipline strategies.

The Handbook of School Violence and School Safety: International Research and Practice has become the premier resource for educational and mental health professionals and policymakers seeking to implement effective prevention and intervention programs that reduce school violence and promote safe and effective schools. It covers the full range of school violence and safety topics from harassment and bullying to promoting safe, secure, and peaceful schools. It also examines existing school safety programs and includes the multi-disciplinary research and theories that guide them. Examinations of current issues and projections of future research and practice are embedded within each chapter. This volume maps the boundaries of this rapidly growing and multidisciplinary field of study. Key features include... Comprehensive Coverage – The chapters are divided into three parts: Foundations; Assessment and Measurement; Prevention and Intervention Programs. Together they provide a comprehensive review of what is known about the types, causes, and effects of school violence and the most effective intervention programs that have been developed to prevent violence and promote safe and thriving school climates. Evidence-based Practice – Avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to prevention and intervention, the focus throughout is on the application of evidence-based practice to address factors most commonly associated with school violence and safety. Implications for Practice – Each chapter bridges the research-to-practice gap, with a section delineating implications for practice of the foregoing research. Chapter Structure – To ensure continuity and coherence across the book, each chapter begins with a brief abstract and ends with a table showing the implications for practice. International Focus – Acknowledging the fact that school violence and safety is a global concern, this edition has increased its focus on insights learned from cross-national research and practice outside the USA. Expertise – The editors and authors are experienced researchers, teachers, practitioners, and leaders in the school violence field, their expertise includes their breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, bridging research, policy, and practice and representing a variety of international organizations studying school violence around the world.

Something is terribly wrong with our schools. How did a place that should be a sanctuary for kids becomes a source of fear and intimidation? What has happened? In Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, Jane Bluestein offers a plan to return schools to havens of nurturing and learning. She examines environmental, historical, developmental, psychological, sociological, interpersonal, instructional and administrative factors that contribute to the emotional climate of an educational institution. This is a comprehensive view of what makes a school feel the way it feels, and what we can do to make it feel safe for every child—and every adult—who walks through its doors. Emotional safety has many dimensions, such as: the impact of the family and early development, childhood stress and coping, the changing role of the school, acceptance and emotional support, respect and belonging, temperament and labels, gangs and violence, instructional strategies, learning styles and multiple intelligences, teacher training and support, and the inherent need for a sense of community. The message Jane Bluestein brings is positive: information, programs and solutions are available that can ultimately make our schools inviting, inspiring, and, yes—safe. Includes: Comprehensive list of references and resources Complete index