School Violence and Primary Prevention

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.

• Part 1. Theoretical Issues & Assessment of School Violence.- The Trauma of School Violence.- Clinical Processing of Trauma in Children.- Assessment of Violence potential among school children.- Developmental Issues in School Based Aggression Prevention from a social cognitive perspective.- Assessment of sexual abuse and trauma: Clinical measures.- A Comparison of two school-based Conflict Management Programs.- Incidence and Prevalence of School Violence.- Part II: Bullying and Abusive Behavior.- Prevention Intervention strategies for Bullying Behavior in the schools.- Sexual Boundary Violations in the schools: Recognition and Prevention.- Bullying Behavior: What is the potential for school violence.- Understanding mass school shootings: Links between person hood power in a competitive school environment.- Part III: The Influence of Culture on School Violence.- Clinical and Cultural Issues in Diagnosing and Treating Child Victims of Peer Abuse.- Body Image, exercise dependence and cultural expectations in the school setting.- School based cults and Violence: Clinical Issues and Case Study.- Impact of Culturally relevant violence prevention.- Part IV:Prevention Interventions.- Recognition and Management of Peer Violence in the Schools.- Clinical Pathways for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Victims of School Violence.- Effectiveness of violence prevention curriculum among elementary children.- Character Education As a Preventive Strategy in School Violence.- Part V: Future Directions.- School Bullying & Victimization: Lessons Learned.- Legislating School Crisis Response: Good Policy or Just Good Politics?.- Violence in the Schools: Clinical issues and case analysis for high-risk children.- Acceptability and Student Outcomes of a Violence Prevention Curriculum.- Violence Prevention Interventions: Barriers and Solutions.- School Violence Prevention: Current Status & Policy Recommendations.

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)