Your school must be prepared to face problems that range from name calling and bullying to extortion, rape, and homicide. Decrease the chances of tragedy and learn how to respond most effectively!

This essential handbook explores the causes of school violence, presents state-of-the-art information on preventing school violence, and arms you with practical interventions to use when violent incidents occur. You'll also learn about the best Internet sites on school violence issues. This book--prepared by the editor of the Journal of School Violence--can help you decrease the chances of tragedy. It will also show you how to respond effectively when violence does occur. Part I: Causes of School Violence focuses on the ways that connectedness and identification with academics influence school violence. This section presents a framework for creating developmental interventions as well as a chapter examining the concept of "bonding to school," with two interesting scenarios to consider. Part II: Prevention of School Violence examines the effectiveness of interventions in use today and brings you important information on threat assessment, peer mediation, and weapons reduction. You'll also find an insightful chapter on the value of developing empathy and good communication with youth who are gang members. Part III: Interventions in Cases of School Violence provides you with effective strategies to address the consequences of crisis events and takes an incisive look at crisis events themselves, what they are, how they progress, and what you may encounter in their aftermath. In addition, you get an invaluable inside look at crisis intervention and support services in the aftermath of the 2001 Santana High School shootings in San Diego, California. With your purchase of this essential handbook, you'll also be kept up to date by the author's new Internet forum--a space where scholars and practitioners from around the world come together to create new strategies for school violence prevention and intervention and develop new online and print publications that address school violence.

""When I was like 11, I was hanging out. I used to go to a middle school. It was for bad people, only bad people go there. It's a school just for bad people that had gotten kicked out of school. And I had got kicked out of my school cause they found me with a gun.""

The Handbook of School Violence brings together many voices--those of violent youngsters and the helpers who provide the care they need--those of students who feel no connection with their families or with their work at school--those of the professionals who strive to prevent these students from acting on their feelings of alienation in violent ways--and those of scholars who create theory and research, laying the foundation for prevention and intervention. Add this book to your collection, and you'll benefit from the contributions of this rich chorus of voices. And through the Internet forum, the chorus can add a new voice--yours.

Visit the Handbook of School Violence Web site at http: //genesislight.com/hsv%20files/about.html