Violence Goes to College

Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to examine violence on college campuses and prepare campus practitioners to both prevent and respond to violence. Since the first edition was published, major violence has redefined the landscape, most notably the experiences of 9/11 and the tragedy of the Virginia Tech massacre. On the positive side, however, great strides have been made in understanding violence and how to prevent, interrupt, and respond to both internal and external threats; this growth is reflected in this new edition. The book is organized into three major sections. The first section addresses broad campus violence concerns and violence conceptualization; understanding the basics of violence; and identifying the cast of characters: targets, perpetrators, protectors, and bystanders. The second section explores general prevention strategies, including looking for warning signs of impending violent acts, building barriers to discourage potential offenders from acting out, and developing effective safety approaches for law enforcement personnel. The third section looks more in depth at particular forms of campus violence including sexual assault, rioting, hate crimes, hazing, homicide, nonsexual assault, and bombing. Each chapter offers recommendations for prevention and follow-up strategies. Salient case examples and a comprehensive glossary further enhance the text. "Violence Goes to College" offers hope that somewhere between Pollyanna and paranoia, campuses can find a healthy balance between reasonable protection and personal freedom. This new edition continues to be a user-friendly resource providing busy college personnel, students, and parents with directed, well-researched strategies to prepare for the possibility of tragedy before it strikes. It is not only a valuable tool for college administrators, but also a useful research book for journalists, psychologists, law enforcement personnel, and attorneys. Part I of this book, "Leaving "It-Will-Never-Happen-Here": Helping College Communities Acknowledge Violence Potential Without Creating Panic", contains: (1) Seeing Violence as a Virus (John Nicoletti and Sally Spencer-Thomas); (2) Violence 101: Understanding the Basics (John Nicoletti and Sally Spencer-Thomas); (3) Vulnerable to Infection: Risks to College Communities (Sally Spencer-Thomas and John Nicoletti); and (4) Alcohol: a Catalyst for Violence (Sally Spencer-Thomas). Part ii, "Developing Antibodies: General Prevention Strategies for the College Community", contains: (5) Heeding the Signs and Symptoms: What Are the Red Flags for Impending Violence (John Nicoletti and Sally Spencer-Thomas); (6) Building Barriers to Violence Part I: Amassing the Army (Sally Spencer-Thomas and John Nicoletti); (7) Building Barriers to Violence Part ii: Developing Policy and Procedures for Threats and Violence (John Nicoletti and Sally Spencer-Thomas); (8) Building Barriers to Violence Part iii: Environmental Protection and Safety Strategies (John Nicoletti and Christopher Bollinger); (9) Law and Campus Violence (Darby Dickerson); and (10) Preparing for the Violence Aftermath: a Community Affected (Christopher Bollinger and Sally Spencer-Thomas). Part iii, "Strains of Campus Violence", contains: (11) Sexual Assault (Rebecca Flintoft); (12) Suicide (Sally Spencer-Thomas, Rae Sandler, and Jina Jensen); (13) Hate Crimes and Lesser Forms of Hateful Violence (Christopher Bollinger and Kyle Wych); (14) Hazing (Hank Nuwer and Christopher Bollinger); (15) Avenger Violence on College Campuses (John Nicoletti and Heather Morris); (16) Rioting (Sally Spencer-Thomas); (17) Homicide and Non-Sexual Assault (John Nicoletti and Sally Spencer-Thomas); and (18) Arson and Bombing (Sally Spencer-Thomas). Epilogue: The Future of Campus Violence by John Nicoletti is included. An appendix, a glossary, and indexes are also included.