It also serves as an introductory resource for police officials, school security directors and specialists, unions or associations representing educational personnel, parents, media representatives, community members, and college or university courses. The text covers the varied aspects of making and keeping a school safe and secure, including internal school security, physical security, and other aspects of security. The first three chapters examine the myths and realities of school violence and methods of dealing with the threats and the politics surrounding these issues. The subsequent chapters define the security assessment process, describes how it should be approached, details who should be involved, presents questions and issues to address when evaluating each component of the assessment process, and explain how the individual components fit together for effective school security. Further chapters describe and assess the advantages and disadvantages of popular strategies used to improve school security, explain issues to consider in developing interagency and community collaborations to maintain safe schools and safe communities, and offer suggestions on how school officials can work effectively and proactively with the media. Checklists, list of suggested readings, and 15 references