School violence can lead to a disruptive and threatening environment, physical injury, and emotional stress, all of which can be obstacles to student achievement. Educators have responded to the perceived threat of school violence by implementing programs designed to prevent, deter, and respond to the potential for violence in schools. In addition, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 emphasizes the importance of safe learning environments by requiring schools to have a safety plan in place and to fund programs and practices intended to prevent and reduce violence in schools. The needs and capabilities of schools may differ; thus, schools implement a variety of practices intended to prevent and reduce violence. This study: (1) examines principals' reports of the prevalence of formal practices in public schools designed to prevent or reduce school violence; and (2) describes the distribution of these practices by selected school characteristics. The analysis is based on school-level data reported by principals participating in the school year 2003-2004 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), and complements the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2006", which reported on the safety and security measures taken by schools in school year 2003-2004. In addition to including updated estimates, this study examines (1) efforts to involve parents in preventing and reducing violence; (2) safety and security procedures; and (3) allowable disciplinary policies. In addition to reporting the data by standard school characteristics, the study presents results by principals' self-reports of community crime. The study found that schools implemented a variety of school violence prevention and reduction practices and that some practices were more commonly used than others. In addition, practices differed by school level and other selected school characteristics. Schools in rural areas showed different patterns of practices than those in urban areas. (Contains 6 endnotes and 1 table.).

In recent years, different regions of the world have been unfortunately experiencing an increase in violent acts within various communities. For example, the United States has seen an emergence of severe violence within schools over the past two decades. This tragic phenomenon is causing administrators and practitioners to rethink teaching techniques and implement concepts of violence prevention within schools and other social organizations. Preventing and Reducing Violence in Schools and Society is a collection of innovative research on the evolution and implementation of nonviolence concepts within social settings in order to repent oppression and violence among global communities. The book explores the effective diffusion of violence through masterful negotiation and mediation skills as well as mentoring, counseling, and related processes. While highlighting topics including nonviolent teaching, active shooter training, and LGBT-phobia, this book is ideally designed for UN, governments and their heads, politicians, NGOs, communities riddled with gang and other violence, schools, educational leaders, social organizations, community leaders, teachers, preachers, religious leaders, mediators, peace activists, law enforcement, researchers, and students seeking current research on contemporary nonviolence techniques to facilitate change in schools and other societal environments.

"The authors examine obstacles to teacher involvement in policy, analyze preservice and practicing teachers' experiences, and present a model for collaborative professional development for teacher policy advocacy. Case studies are used to explore four contemporary policy areas: school safety, student assessment, public health, and digital learning"--

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.