School Violence and Primary Prevention

Despite the public alarm following several high-profile school shootings that occurred in the United States over the past decade, little is known about the actual incidence and characteristics of school-associated violence. School Violence and Primary Prevention grew out of a recent special issue of the Journal of Primary Prevention, which Thomas W. Miller guest edited. Understanding violence and reducing injury and death associated with violence is now, unfortunately, a major public health concern and is now a major objective of the Healthy People 2010 initiative.

School Violence and Primary Prevention covers clinical issues in treating victims of school violence and assessing children with the potential for violence. The editor will also examine the effectiveness of prevention intervention programs and offer larger policy recommendations. The book will look at environmental factors such as cultural issues on behaviors from bullying to mass school shootings. And uniquely, the book will go into topics such as sexual boundaries and body image. In all, this book aims for a theoretical and applied picture of the current state of school violence and prevention.

From the reviews:

"This book covers various aspects of school violence from elementary school through college, including bullying, sexual harassment, and mass shootings, addressing both assessment and prevention issues. … The book is intended for teachers, counselors, and administrators as well as medical and mental health professionals working with children. It also can serve as a graduate text in psychology, public health, and social epidemiology. … This excellent book, combining theory, assessment, intervention, and prevention will be useful to teachers, administrators, and mental health personnel."

(Gary B kaniuk, Doody’s Review Service, June, 2008)

"The authors provide a wide variety of lenses through which to observe and address school violence in all of its many forms. As a result, this book is must reading for anyone seriously interested in studying or preventing school violence."

(Joel A. Dvoskin, PhD, JAMA, October 22/29, 2008 - Vol. 300, No. 16)

"Assessing threats, understanding student's behavior and preventing school violence is a huge responsibility that law enforcement faces. When assessing situations like school shootings and bullying we are always looking for critical markers in individuals. School Violence: Primary Prevention addresses all these law enforcement issues regarding school violence including prevention techniques. This book is a must read for all law enforcement officers, especially school liaison officers. Dr. Thomas Miller has a powerful ability to communicate to all professions on how to be more effective responders by understanding the dynamics of human behavior."

-Officer Debbie Wagner, Citizens Police Academy, Lexington, KY

"This book does an excellent job of addressing a variety of topics related to school violence and prevention. A wide range of interesting topics ranging from neurobiology of violence and victimization to assessment and prevention strategies are expertly discussed. More specifically, interesting topics such as cliques, cults, bullying, childhood sexual abuse, school shootings, and interventions for high-risk students are also covered. The chapters are well written and thoroughly cover the topics in a coherent manner. This book does a remarkable job of providing valuable theory and practical information for assessment and prevention. Teachers, administrators, and school counselors will find this book to be easily readable and a powerful tool in understanding and preventing school violence."

(Scott Alan Hutchens, Ph.D., Delta State University, Cleveland, MS)

Thomas W. Miller is Professor at Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky as well as a senior research scientist with the University of Connecticut’s Center for Health Intervention and Prevention. He is also a University Teaching Fellow and a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology in clinical psychology. He also is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Royal Society of Medicine.

The author of 10 books, his research has included cross-cultural studies of trauma in veterans; victims of natural disasters; medical conditions, including HIV; and applications of telemedicine in providing access to care for rural and underserved populations.