The Crisis of School Violence: A New Perspective

by Marianna King

Overview

The Crisis of School Violence is the only interdisciplinary book about school violence. It presents a broad and in-depth approach to the key questions about why bullying continues at an unprecedentedly high rate and why rampage school shootings continue to shock the nation. Based on extensive research, The Crisis of School Violence investigates human nature and its relation to aggressive behavior, with a special focus on the culture of violence that predicates school violence (including rampage shootings) and perpetuates industries that profit from violence. Marianna King presents the considerable psychological and neuroscientific research that investigates the effects of violent entertainment media on the brain and, subsequently, on behavior, which clearly reveals a causal connection between exposure to violent electronic entertainment media—especially violent video games—and increased aggressive and violent behavior. The book also reveals a more specific connection between exposure to violent video games and rampage school shootings. Ultimately this volume is a call to action that includes recommendations for parents, teachers, decision makers, and citizens alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611863796
Publisher:	Michigan State University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Edition description:	1
Pages:	310
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Marianna King’s academic and other professional work focuses on violence and violence prevention. As an educator, she has worked with elementary school children in gang-active communities as well as university students, gang members, and other violent offenders. She also has published articles for the National School Boards Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Association for Middle Level Education, and the American School Counselor Association, among other organizations. Because of her groundbreaking work in violence prevention, she was honored with a New Mexico Woman of the Year award in 2000.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: The Crisis xi

Chapter 1 The Causes of Violence: Standard Explanations 1

Chapter 2 Standard Practices: Necessary but Not Sufficient 17

Chapter 3 Paolo Freire and the Question of Human Nature 41

Chapter 4 The Culture of Violence 55

Chapter 5 The Culture of School Violence: The School Environment 83

Chapter 6 School Rampage Shooters: More Lethal Than Ever 107

Chapter 7 Media Reality 131

Chapter 8 Fun and Games: A Virtual Reality 161

Chapter 9 The Brain's Response to Electronic Entertainment Media 191

Chapter 10 The Future of Violence 215

Chapter 11 What We Can Do: The Opportunity 221

Appendix. School Violence Prevention Resources 227

Notes 231

Bibliography 295

Index 333

Editorial Reviews

Marianna King’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in the level of violence in American schools. This is not an opinion piece; it is grounded in research evidence. It also treats this important topic with the complexity it deserves, covering multiple risk factors for school violence. No single factor can account for violence in schools.”
—BRAD J. BUSHMAN, Professor of Communication and Margaret Hall and Robert Randal Rinehart Chair of Mass Communication, Ohio
State University

From the Publisher