Matthew J. Mayer - School Safety and Violence Prevention: Science, Practice, Policy

Ron Avi Astor, PhD, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

George G. Bear, PhD, University of Delaware, Newark

Rami Benbenishty, PhD, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

Jessika H. Bottiani, MPH, PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Catherine P. Bradshaw, MEd, PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Dewey Cornell, PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Danielle Dougherty, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Erin Dowdy, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Allison B. Dymnicki, PhD, American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC

Dorothy L. Espelage, PhD, University of Florida, Gainesville

Albert D. Farrell, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Erika Felix, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Daniel J. Flannery, PhD, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Michael J. Furlong, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Anna Heilbrun, MA, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Jun Sung Hong, PhD, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, and Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea

Francis Huang, PhD, University of Missouri, Columbia

Shane R. Jimerson, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Jason Katz, PhD, American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC

Evgeny Klochikhin, PhD, American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC

Matthew J. Mayer, PhD, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick

Maury Nation, PhD, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Amanda Nickerson, PhD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Lindsey OBrennan, PhD, University of South Florida, Tampa

David M. Osher, PhD, American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC

Tracey G. Scherr, PhD, University of WisconsinWhitewater

Jill Sharkey, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Joni W. Splett, PhD, University of Florida, Gainesville

Jeffrey R. Sprague, PhD, University of Oregon, Eugene

Adam Voight, PhD, Cleveland State University, Ohio

Mark Weist, PhD, University of South Carolina, Columbia

Sara A. Whitcomb, PhD, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Sandra Williamson, MEd, American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC

Chunyan Yang, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

MATTHEW J. MAYER AND SHANE R. JIMERSON

As school safety periodically takes center stage in the public arena because of media coverage of horrific events, there is often a predictable array of simplistic and sometimes sensational pronouncements on how to prevent school violence. Suggestions that may sound appealing on the surface but lack empirical support have included measures such as implementing zero tolerance policies with severe penalties, mandating gun-free zones, and arming teachers and other school staff members. This book focuses on more complex issues that inform possible solutions, drawing on a transdisciplinary research base and spanning topics including, but not limited to, educational administration, schoolwide prevention programming, classroom management, academic curriculum and instruction, socialemotionalbehavioral issues, ecologies of the student, and transactional developmental processes (Sameroff, 2000).

This introductory chapter provides a background and framework for understanding subsequent chapters. It begins by highlighting the detrimental effects of school violence, including student outcomes associated with school violence, disruption, and bullying. It then argues that a transdisciplinary, data-driven approach is needed to effectively address school violence. In particular, prevention and intervention practices must use logic models and theories of change to target the contributing factors and foundational processes associated with school violence. Researchers, policymakers, and practitioners must collaborate to bridge the research-to-practice gap on this important issue. The chapter concludes with a brief road map of the book.