The prevalence of crime and violence in schools has become the concern of policy-makers at Federal and State levels, parents, educators, and students themselves. Students in school environments where violence occurs cannot concentrate on academic achievement, and teachers cannot focus on teaching and learning. The essays on school violence are organized in six parts: (1) the problem of school violence (weapons and gangs); (2) causes of school violence (media and television violence, aggression, antisocial behavior, and the impact of child abuse and family violence on violence in schools); (3) school security and related legal issues; (4) general strategies for achieving a less violent school environment; (5) specific approaches to preventing school violence (National Education Association policies and violence prevention initiatives in New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and Texas); and (6) a community-based approach to violence in urban schools. Essays address violence in society, trends in school violence, the extent of the school violence problem, and various aspects of violence causes and prevention. The influence on students and communities of gang activities, drugs, alcohol, and weapons on campus is discussed. References and notes