Schooling As Violence

Asking fundamental and often uncomfortable questions about the nature and purposes of formal education, this book explores the three main ways of looking at the relationship between formal education, individuals and society: * that education improves society * that education reproduces society exactly as it is * that education makes society worse and harms individuals. Whilst educational policy documents and much academic writing and research stresses the first function and occasionally make reference to the second, the third is largely played down or ignored. In this unique and thought-provoking book, Clive Harber argues that while schooling can play a positive role, violence towards children originating in the schools system itself is common, systematic and widespread internationally and that schools play a significant role in encouraging violence in wider society. Topics covered include physical punishment, learning to hate others, sexual abuse, stress and anxiety, and the militarization of school. The book both provides detailed evidence of such forms of violence and sets out an analysis of schooling that explains why they occur. In contrast, the final chapter explores existing alternative forms of education which are aimed at the development of democracy and peace. This book should be read by anyone involved in education - from students and academics to policy-makers and practitioners around the world.

This book attempts to uncover school violence in different contexts by presenting studies of expert practitioners, which highlight concepts, risk factors, prevention mechanisms and challenges faced by concerned individuals in the hope of developing solutions to the occurrence of violence involving school children. Studies included in this book are those of international and national scope, stakeholder involvement, and even the role of new technologies in light of school violence.

The Crisis of School Violence is the only interdisciplinary book about school violence. It presents a broad and in-depth approach to the key questions about why bullying continues at an unprecedentedly high rate and why rampage school shootings continue to shock the nation. Based on extensive research, The Crisis of School Violence investigates human nature and its relation to aggressive behavior, with a special focus on the culture of violence that predicates school violence (including rampage shootings) and perpetuates industries that profit from violence. Marianna King presents the considerable psychological and neuroscientific research that investigates the effects of violent entertainment media on the brain and, subsequently, on behavior, which clearly reveals a causal connection between exposure to violent electronic entertainment media--especially violent video games--and increased aggressive and violent behavior. The book also reveals a more specific connection between exposure to violent video games and rampage school shootings. Ultimately this volume is a call to action that includes recommendations for parents, teachers, decision makers, and citizens alike.

This book is designed to examine issues related to schools, violence, and society. Since the 1960s, crime and violence have been increasing in America's schools. This violence is not limited to inner-city schools, but has struck virtually every strata and socio-economic level of American culture and society. The prevalence of crime and violence occurring in our nation's schools has become the concern of policymakers on the national and state levels. Concern has spread to parents, educators, and students themselves. This edited volume reviews violence in society, school violence, and crime. Coverage includes past trends in school violence and describes the current extent of the problem, as well as tspects of its causes and prevention. The influence on the students and community of gang activity, gang-related issues, drugs, alcohol, and weapons on campus is discussed.

Despite evidence that school violence is in decline, a string of highly publicized mass shootings in American schools has inspired a sense of panic in parents and school officials. Contributors provide insight into the possible causes of violent behavior in students and suggest potential remedies.

Discusses the controversial viewpoints regarding school violence.

Researchers and practitioners identify and examine systemic violence in schools from a number of perspectives including school administration policies, pedagogical methods, educational labeling, classroom interaction, childhood games, and teacher reactions, as well as child abuse. Includes practical suggestions for addressing systemic violence.

Socially Constructed School Violence: Lessons from the Field argues that the way we understand what constitutes violence is socially constructed, and that people from different social locations, that is, gender, race, social class, geographic location, and so on, will have varied perspectives on what is violent. Based on ethnographic work at an urban alternative school for students expelled for bringing weapons to school and an affluent suburban school eighteen miles away, this book describes various ways violence can be constructed. Specifically, this book discusses personal and structural forms of violence that students, teachers, administrators, and other school staff encounter. Using powerful examples from the ethnographic analysis, this book describes some of the valuable lessons learned about how we can work to prevent school violence.