Leadership, Violence, and School Climate: Case Studies in Creating Non-Violent Schools [Paperback]

In the book, Leadership, Violence and School Climate: Case Studies in Creating Non-Violent Schools, three important themes are emphasized namely, democratic leadership, violence and school climate. The book recognizes that safety should be the first issue of concern when addressing school violence. However, violence in schools should not be the sole concern of outside experts who advocate for lock downs, metal detectors and bullet proof glass. Through democratic school leadership violence can be reduced by those professionals actually working in schools. The book emphasizes that reduction in school violence originates from school leaders having a comprehensive understanding of the climate found in schools. Leadership, violence and school climate are connected through the use of democratic principles that address; crisis, trauma, empowerment, common ground, critical thinking, assertiveness and others. The book points out how schools can reverse their reactionary stance to violence, and become pro-active through the practice of democratic principles.

Kyle Elizabeth Blanchfield, J.D., is the President and CEO of the Northern New York Centers for Conflict Resolution, which covers the entire northern region of New York State. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education in St. Lawrence Universitys Graduate Leadership Program.

Peter D. Ladd, Ph.D. is a tenured faculty member at St. Lawrence University in the Graduate School of Education. He coordinates the Certificate of Advanced Studies Program in Counseling, and works in St. Lawrence University's satellite graduate school program on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation.

As a 40 year veteran of school leadership I thought I was reading my professional life experiences in the case studies that Blanchfield and Ladd analyze in their book. They clearly go upstream to the source of school violence as they emphasize the importance of democratic leadership and apply best practices to make our schools safe. A l3X