Relentless Threat - by Kjersti Vanslyke-Briggs & Elizabeth A Bloom (Paperback)

About the Book

A Relentless Threat assembles a range of scholars who situate the phenomenon of school shootings in their own academic areas of expertise. Each author responds to a selected teen voice reflecting on their personal experiences attending school under the constant threat of a school shooting.

Book Synopsis

A Relentless Threat assembles a range of scholars who situate the phenomenon of school shootings in their own academic areas of expertise. Each author responds to a selected teen voice reflecting on their personal experiences attending school under the constant threat of a school shooting.

Review Quotes

Amidst the oppressive and ongoing threats to our health, equity, and social justice, remains the insidious risk of school violence. This comprehensive work reminds us of the complex etiology of weaponized violence through the interpersonal examination of society inside and outside the school building. From the gun control debate to social media, readers explore the catastrophic effects of unresolved differences and the need to replace reactivity with proactivity.

Compiled by VanSlyke-Briggs and Bloom, A Relentless Threat uncovers the root causes of school shootings and examines the responses to violent incidents, assessing how such events impact the foundation of the US education system. Contributing authors highlight the interrelated components across public and private sectors that lead to gun violence and share their perspectives on school shootings. The heart of this volume is the survivors' personal accounts, which display patterns of associated factors that emerge in school-based violence across contexts. Importantly, this volume recognizes the influence of social media on how the public perceives each school shooting or instance of gun violence and considers what can be done to prevent future occurrences. This intentionally curated volume reflects the significance of an issue that unfortunately has become commonplace in US schools. It serves as a notable contribution to the effort to change the education landscape for the future. Recommended. All levels.

Gun violence is not inevitable. It is preventable. Students who are taught and encouraged to look out for one another, notice when someone is hurting, and how to get help are embodying the culture change we need to end gun violence. This book underscores the importance of a holistic approach to keeping schools safe: one that includes policy, research, and community-based programs all working together. By putting this body of research into action, we can prevent school shootings and protect our kids.

The contributors to this volume manage to provide a fresh, multi-disciplinary look at the timely subject of gun violence in America's schools. The authors build a unique ground-up analysis by organizing the chapters around the views of students and teachers to produce a book that is uniquely thoughtful and thought-provoking.

This is a highly readable and thoughtful analysis of gun violence in schools with six chapters by different authors tackling key aspects of the problem from the availability of guns to social media aggression. The book also challenges questionable solutions marketed by the school security industry and advocates for prevention through school climate programs.

About the Author

Kjersti VanSlyke-Briggs is a professor of secondary education and educational technologies at the State University of New York, Oneonta.
Elizabeth A. Bloom is a professor of education and chair of the Education Program at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY.
They are the editors of Resisting Reform: Reclaiming Public Education through Grassroots Activism.