Sommer, Leuschner, and Scheithauer ("International Journal of Developmental Science," v8, n1-2, p 3-24, 2014.) make an excellent contribution to the field in bringing attention to the social dynamics that underlie many homicidal attacks that have occurred in schools. By drawing on 126 cases reported in 35 studies, the authors are able to…

Jessie Klein begins her commentary on "Bullying, Romantic Rejection, and Conflicts with Teachers: The Crucial Role of Social Dynamics in the Development of School Shootings--A Systematic Review" (Sommer, Leuschner, and Scheithauer," International Journal of Developmental Science" v 8, n1-2, p3-24, 2014) by saying that to…

The systematic review by Sommer, Leuschner, and Scheithauer ("International Journal of Developmental Science" v8, n1-2, p3-24, 2014) includes 126 school shooting cases from 13 countries. This comprehensive review provides a valuable synthesis of a topic largely discussed in school shooting research: The role of bullying and peer…

Social support and social relationships are essential for psychological and physical health. Social rejection, on the other hand, is associated with increased stress and negative long and short-term consequences for a person's well-being. The long-term consequences of ostracism include the development of internalizing and externalizing psychiatric…

The authors begin their commentary by saying that looking at the phenotypical characteristics of a school shooting, which focus on the perpetrators' experiences in school contexts seems to be overdue. In spite of methodological problems, the studies involved in the review seem to paint a clear picture with regard to social ostracism and harassment…

The authors begin their commentary by saying that Sommer, Leuschner, and Scheithauer (2014) did an admirable job of reviewing and integrating research on school shootings across a broad array of studies that relied on varied conceptualizations, operational definitions, coding strategies, and samples of shootings. The authors agree with Sommer et…

This article presents an interview with Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education Kevin Jennings on his ideas about school safety. In this interview, Jennings describes his plans for making schools safer for students and for developing a way to measure school climate that can drive such changes. Bullied in school, Jennings now devotes his life to…

James Scheurich argues that practices of policy--normalized over time through repetition--serve three purposes. They structure social problems for which policy is designed to address; construct certain people, implicitly or explicitly, as problem individuals; and shape policy solutions. Following Foucault, he offers what he calls Policy…

Publicity about youth experience of sexual harassment in schools has increased public awareness. But tacit acceptance by parents and teachers of teasing and bullying maintain an environment in which students feel unsafe. Deliberate adult intervention and inclusion of the issue in the curriculum are needed. (SK)

Boredom and violence are not disconnected, and kids who aren't engaged in what they must spend more than twelve years doing, day after day, are at risk. But are schools safe even in more favored neighborhoods? Not in the deeper sense of safe. Not only are children verbally and physically abused in many public schools in minor ways--in ways that…

Addresses the issue of preventing and countering harassment in schools and the role of school counselors. Defines sexual harassment and gives an overview of evolving legal interpretations concerning peer harassment. Discusses effects of peer sexual harassment and specific implications for the school counselor. Outlines resources and ideas for…

Attempts to place the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in a historical perspective. Describes the shootings in Littleton and the high school shootings since 1996. Interprets the possible reasons for the Columbine shootings, such as the role of the high school, access to guns, and violence in the mass media. (CMK)

As suggested by standard indicators--truancy, dropout rates, graffiti, vandalism, violence--youngsters in small schools rarely display the anger at the institution and its inhabitants that typifies Columbine and many other comprehensive high schools. Educators must cultivate learning communities and qualities (like empathy and compassion)…

Investigates the psychological, social, and sexual dynamics of the feminist classroom. Presents a feminist critique of patriarchy and analyzes student resistance to it. Shares feminist teaching practices intended to alter the gendered status quo of the classroom interaction between women and men. (SK)

This paper argues the importance of examining the collective dimension of masculinities in the early school years through a description of a study into children's (young males') peer group relations. Specifically, the paper attends to the significance of the peer group in shaping behaviour, and in particular exaggerated "masculine"…