In this book, Robert A. Brooks and Jeffrey W. Cohen provide a concise, targeted overview of the major criminological theories to explain the phenomenon of school bullying, bringing to life what is often dense and confusing material with concrete case examples. Criminology Explains School Bullying is a valuable resource in criminology or juvenile delinquency classes, as well as special-topics classes on school violence, bullying, or the school-to-prison pipeline. Charts, critical thinking questions, and implications for practice and policy illuminate real-world applications, making this is a go-to book for teachers, students, and researchers interested in an empirically driven synthesis of criminological theory as it applies to school bullying.

Bullying at school causes enormous stress for many children and their families, and has long-term effects. Early intervention has been advocated as the most appropriate way to prevent bullying. This paper outlines a framework based on restorative justice principles aimed at bringing about behavioural change for the individual while keeping schools and communities safe.

Since the year 2000, there have been approximately 200 school shootings in the United States. Unfortunately, this is not simply a U.S. problem. In 2017, a 15-year-old Canadian male student committed suicide after shooting two other students and a teacher. During that same year, in Brazil, a private school student fatally shot two classmates and injured four. In 2018, a 13-year-old Russian girl opened fire with a gas pistol and injured seven 7th graders. Hence, school violence is a problem of global concern. Acts of School Violence in the School Setting addresses this international problem from a crime and criminal justice perspective. The history of school violence follows the pattern of what most would consider the history of education. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, current research has shown a decline in the rates of school violence over the past three years; however, the few high-profile cases broadcast repeatedly in the media lead the public to other conclusions. All individuals agree that a child attending school should be concerned with the process of learning, not with avoiding victimization and that the school environment should be a safe and secure location for both students and teachers. In addition, and most central to this text, without a safe school environment, students and teachers may be assaulted, injured, or killed. Included in this textbook are definitions related to the types and categories of school violence (including bullying, stalking, and crimes against students that involve the internet), discussions on victims and offenders, and case examples. Also included in this textbook is information on criminal justice system responses to school violence from both a national and international perspective. Finally, this textbook discusses adult perpetrators of school violence and the explanations for such attacks.

School violence is a significant social concern. To better understand its sources, a comprehensive meta-analysis of the school violence and victimization literature was undertaken. Across 761 studies, the relative effects of 30 different individual, school, and community level correlates were assessed (8,790 effect size estimates). Violence and victimization were conceptualized broadly to include various forms of aggression and crime at school. The results revealed that the strongest correlates of school violence perpetration were antisocial behavior, deviant peers, antisocial attitudes, victimization, and peer rejection; and that the strongest correlates of school victimization were prior/other victimization, social competence, risk avoidance, antisocial behavior, and peer rejection. Extracurricular activities and school security devices had among the weakest associations in the meta-analysis, and several traditional criminological predictors did not perform well in the school context. We conclude with recommendations for theory, future research, and policy.

′This extraordinarily comprehensive book authored by the leading international authority in the field integrates research, theory and practice on the topic of school bullying. In an already research saturated field Peter Smith’s writing captures the humanity of why this topic strikes such a chord in the community. He reminds us in a thoughtful, practical and caring manner why we must continue to advocate on all levels for those impacted by bullying.′ -Professor Phillip T. Slee, Flinders University, Australia ′Understanding School Bullying offers a refreshingly clear account of the wealth of insights gained over a quarter of a century of research. As Smith’s comprehensive review convincingly shows, much has been learned and much of this has been put to good use in improving children’s wellbeing. This is surely essential reading for any researcher concerned with bullying, childhood or life at school.′ -Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, author of Children, Risk and Safety Online ′Peter Smith’s new book will occupy a prominent place on my bookshelf. It provides a thorough and highly readable discussion of the breadth of research on school bullying. Dr. Smith includes discussions of important challenges related to research on this topic along with an excellent review of important studies and findings. This unique volume has influenced my thinking about the direction of my own research. The book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, consumers of research, and others who seek a research-based understanding of this important topic.′ -Sheri Bauman, Ph.D., Professor at University of Arizona Bullying involves the repeated abuse of power in relationships. Bullying in schools can blight the lives of victims and damage the climate of the school. Over the last 25 years a burgeoning research program on school bullying has led to new insights into effective ways of dealing with it, as well as new challenges such as the advent of cyberbullying. This new book, by a leading international expert on the topic, brings together the cumulative knowledge acquired and the latest research findings in the area, with a global perspective especially covering research in Europe, North America, Australasia, and Asia. It will appeal to those taking academic courses in psychology, social work, educational psychology, child clinical psychology and psychiatry, and teacher training, but it will also be of interest to parents and teachers.

Bullying in schools has become an issue of major importance among educators. However interventions to reduce bullying have enjoyed only modest and limited success. This paper examines five different explanations for bullying and examines the strengths and limitations of each. It is concluded that none of them provides a comprehensive explanation for school-based bullying and that their value lies especially in suggesting actions that may be taken by schools in addressing particular bully/victim problems.

This forward-looking monograph distills the current knowledge base on lethal school shootings for school professionals invested in improving school safety. Divided between correlates, interventions, and prevention, it begins with the Virginia Tech massacre as exemplifying the kinds of personal, environmental and social dynamics that commonly result in lethal violence on campus. Bullying as a causal factor in school violence is a specific focus of the findings, including immediate and long-term negative effects, psychology of bullies and victims and issues related to cyber bullying. And specialized chapters provide details on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for victimized children and youth, treatment possibilities for bullies and an empirically-supported program for preventing further lethal events. Featured in this reference: Case study: Cho Seung-Hui. Correlates of school violence: bullying, psychopathy, ethnic and gender issues and more. Anti-bullying interventions. Treatment of traumatized children. Averted school shootings and resolved school hostage events. The Safe Schools Communities Model for violence prevention. For professionals working in and with schools in various capacities, optimizing safety is a top priority. Violence in Schools gives those readers clear direction toward achieving this crucial goal.