Understanding and Preventing Campus Violence

Book excerpt: The recent shootings at Virginia Tech brought issues surrounding campus violence to the forefront once again. But campuses have always had problems with stalking, sexual harassment, bullying, rape, robbery, burglary, and intimate partner violence, among other things. In fact, the incidence rates of campus violence are quite startling. For example, the incidence of sexual harassment among undergraduate students ranges between 20 and 80 percent each year. Between 8 and 15 percent of college women say they have been raped. And battering occurs in up to a third of all couples in dating relationships in the U.S. Fortunately, there are solutions to the problem of campus violence. In Understanding and Preventing Campus Violence, Michele Paludi and a host of experts detail preventive procedures as well as methods to stay safer on campus. In Understanding and Preventing Campus Violence, experts in law, HR/employment policy, psychology, criminal justice, and education offer sage, real-world advice to campus administrators, parents, students and employees on how to prevent and manage campus violence. It offers insights into the reasons behind violent acts, prevention techniques, methods students can use to protect themselves, and therapeutic techniques for the following types of violence: -Bullying -Sexual harassment -Cyberstalking and cyberharassment -Intimate partner violence -Rape -Homicide -Robberies and other violent crimes The book also addresses the legal responsibilities of schools, as well as the psychological fallout on people in the aftermath of violence. Featuring interviews with student-victims, and providing sample policies and training programs, Understanding and Preventing Campus Violence will help students learn to spot situations of potential violence, help teachers use classroom excercises to raise awareness and prevent future violence, and help college administrators and managers learn to safeguard the people and assets in their care.