Bullying, School Violence, and Climate in Evolving Contexts Culture, Organization, and Time

Since 2005, bullying, school violence, and school safety literatures have expanded dramatically in content, disciplines, and empirical studies. However, despite this massive expansion of research, there has also been a surprising lack of theoretical and empirical direction to guide efforts on how to advance basic science and practical applications of this growing scientific area of interest. Bullying, School Violence, and Climate in Evolving Contexts outlines a novel unifying model that brings together previously distinct literatures on a wide range of issues (e.g., the structure of school violence and bullying, similarities and differences across cultural groups, weapons in schools, student suicidal ideation and behaviors, teacher-student and student-teacher victimization, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, school climate, etc.). Drawing from numerous large-scale research studies from around the globe, the authors examine the theoretical foundations of school safety and bullying and propose a series of groundbreaking new theoretical and practice proposals. This is a perfect book for doctoral candidates, young academics hoping to forge into new areas of bullying research, and seasoned scholars who delve into the conceptual areas of school violence and bullying.

Ron Avi Astor, PhD, is the Stein-Wood Professor of School Behavioral Health in the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. His work examines the role of the physical, social-organizational, and cultural contexts related to various kinds of bullying and school violence in schools. Dr. Astor's studies have included tens of thousands of schools and millions of students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Over the past 20 years, findings from these studies have been published in more than 200 scholarly manuscripts. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association.

Rami Benbenishty, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His main area of interest is the safety, welfare, and well-being of children around the world. He studies children and youth in community-normative settings (such as schools) and out-of-home placements (such as foster homes and residential care). Dr. Benbenishty investigates and works to improve decision processes that lead to referral to protective services, removal of children from their biological families, and their reunification thereafter. Dr. Benbenishty's work has been recognized in Israel and abroad. He received Israel's EMET prize and the Society for Social Work Research Distinguished Career Achievement Award. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.