Mapping and Monitoring Bullying and Violence: Building a Safe School Climate

Ron Astor · Rami Benbenishty

Sep 2017 · Oxford University Press

About this ebook

Mapping and Monitoring Bullying and Violence is a guidebook for district and school education leaders and professionals to reduce incidents of violence and bullying and enhance students' well-being. Written in a step-by-step format, the text is designed to assist in collecting and making better use of data on non-academic issues in schools, such as reports of victimization, weapon and drug possession, theft of personal property, suicide ideation, and other areas. The authors advocate an ongoing monitoring approach that involves collecting information from multiple audiences about what is taking place in and around schools. One part of this process is mapping, which gives school leaders, students, and staff members a visual record of areas of the campus considered safe, alongside those that students view to be places where they might encounter bullying, harm, or trouble. Other common parts of such systems are surveys among students, educators, and parents. The authors include practical examples of how to design such a system, gather current information, analyze and display the data, share it with different audiences, and use it to find solutions. Ultimately, this timely guidebook is a must-have for social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses, and others working to improve safety in schools.

About the author

Ron Avi Astor, PhD, MA, MSW, is Stein-Wood Professor of School Behavioral Health at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work in the University of Southern California. His work examines the role of the physical, social-organizational, and cultural contexts in schools related to school violence (e.g., sexual harassment, bullying, school fights, emotional abuse, weapon use, and teacher/child violence), and has documented the ecological influences of the family, community, school, and culture on different forms of school violence. Currently, Dr. Astor is applying knowledge gained from these prior studies to improve climate in military-connected schools. Rami Benbenishty, PhD, MSW, is Professor at the Louis & Gabi Weisfeld School of Social work in Bar Ilan University. His main area of academic focus is the safety, welfare, and well-being of children in community normative settings (such as schools) and in out-of-home placements (such as foster homes) and residential care. Dr. Benbenishty is an advocate for children's rights in Israel and around the globe.