Ron Avi Astor – författare

Since 2005, bullying, school violence, and school safety literatures have expanded dramatically in content, disciplines, and empirical studies. However, despite this massive expansion of research, there has also been a surprising lack of theoretical and empirical direction to guide efforts on how to advance basic science and practical applications of this growing scientific area of interest. Bullying, School Violence, and Climate in Evolving Contexts outlines a novel unifying model that brings together previously distinct literatures on a wide range of issues (e.g., the structure of school violence and bullying, similarities and differences across cultural groups, weapons in schools, student suicidal ideation and behaviors, teacher-student and student-teacher victimization, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, school climate, etc.). Drawing from numerous large-scale research studies from around the globe, the authors examine the theoretical foundations of school safety and bullying and propose a series of groundbreaking new theoretical and practice proposals. This is a perfect book for doctoral candidates, young academics hoping to forge into new areas of bullying research, and seasoned scholars who delve into the conceptual areas of school violence and bullying.

Students change schools for a variety of reasons, and some students change more often than others -- a reality that can leave them feeling emotionally disconnected and often academically at risk. Welcoming Practices summarizes the research on school transition and makes a case for why schools need to do a better job of welcoming new children and families and following up with them over time. Arriving at a moment in history in which schools are increasing attention on students' social and emotional development, this book captures the innovative practices that some institutions are using to connect with new students and provides practical strategies that all schools can use to make both students and parents feel a part of the school and community. The book discusses how to use technology to improve families' experiences in their new schools, provides strategies appropriate at the school and district levels, and gives schools suggestions for practices that are best suited for younger students as well as for those at middle and high school levels.

Images, threats, and experiences of political violence daily confront school children in the Middle East. Previous studies into school violence, which sought to forge a strong connection between the external environment and the level of violence in schools, would lead us to believe that political violence is a leading cause of school violence. Here, though, Benbenishty and Astor making striking use the geopolitical climate of the Middle East to model school violence in terms of its context within as well as outside of the school site. The book's approach is unique in that the authors use empirical data to show which variables and factors are similar across different cultures and which variables appear unique to different cultures. This empirical contrast of universal with culturally specific patterns is sorely needed in the school violence literature. Crucially, the authors expand the paradigm of understanding school violence to encompass the intersection of cultural, ethnic, neighborhood, and family characteristics with intra-school factors such as teacher-student dynamics, anti-violence policies, student participation, grade level, and religious and gender divisions. It is only by understanding the multiple contexts of school violence, the authors argue, that truly effective prevention programs, interventions, research agendas, and policies can be implemented. Drawing on the only major study ever conducted comparing Jewish and Arab-Israeli students, in conjunction with census and police data on neighborhood characteristics, Astor and Benbenishty explore and differentiate the many manifestations of victimization in schools, providing a new model for understanding school violence. Their innovative research maps the contours of verbal, social, physical, and sexual victimization as well as weapons possession, presenting some startling findings along the way. When comparing schools in Israel with schools in California, the authors demonstrate for the first time that for the most violent events the pattern of violent behaviors have strong cultural influences. They reveal, for example, how Arab boys encounter much more boy-to-boy sexual harassment than their Jewish peers, and that teacher-initiated victimization of students constitutes a significant and often overlooked type of school violence.

While it is true that children from military families live unique and interesting lives, it is also true that they face many challenges and special circumstances that civilian children and families don't experience. These can include gaps in school attendance and learning due to frequent moves, being separated from a parent who has been deployed, and a sense of isolation in the midst of a civilian community. This comprehensive and evidence-informed guide introduces pre- and inservice teachers to this population and provides essential tools to help minimize the impact of military life on student learning. Written in an engaging style by experts in the field, this guide provides strategies and classroom practices to support these students and address issues such as:Frequent transitions between schoolsGaps in academic progressSocial adjustmentParental deploymentsTrauma or tragedyIt shows how practices already being used in your school can be adapted to ease the transition for military students, and it also introduces original strategies, such as:A ""Hero Wall"" honoring members of the militaryFriendship or memory gardens Military Appreciation eventsWriting letters or making care packages for deployed service membersTeachers College Press also publishes guides written specifically for administrators, pupil personnel, and parents. All royalties from the sale of these books are being donated to military children's educational causes.

While it is true that children from military families live unique and interesting lives, it is also true that they face many challenges and special circumstances that civilian children and families don't experience. These can include gaps in school attendance and learning due to frequent moves, being separated from a parent who has been deployed, and a sense of isolation in the midst of a civilian community. This evidence-informed guide introduces school administrators to this population and offers tools to help them implement school-wide programs that will support military students' learning.Written in an engaging style by experts in the field, this practical guide includes:Profiles of principals who have created welcoming school environments for military children and parentsLessons learning from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schoolsA chapter on using data to improve school culture for military studentsA chapter on education policies that can improve circumstances for military childrenResearch highlighting how frequent school transitions and parental deployments affect the education of military childrenTeachers College Press also publishes guides written specifically for teachers, pupil personnel, and parents. All royalties from the sale of these books are being donated to military children's educational causes.