NCJ Number
142537
Date Published
1992
Length
255 pages
Annotation
This book documents the nature and prevalence of crises in schools and recommends strategies for planning, preventing, and managing school crises.
Abstract
For the purposes of this book, a crisis is defined as "an important and seemingly unsolvable problem with which those involved feel unable to cope." Under this definition, it would be difficult to limit the sorts of crises that may arise in the schools. The definition also implies that what is a crisis to one individual may not be a crisis to another. The book first provides an update on the past 40 years of crisis intervention and then presents an overview of techniques applicable within the school environment. Recommendations are offered for approaches and necessary components in the establishment of a comprehensive preventive school district crisis intervention program. The book addresses school-related crisis skills into four arenas: working directly with the individuals in crisis (suicidal students, behaviorally out-of-control students, victims of physical or sexual abuse); consulting with professionals who work with individuals in crisis (teachers, students, counselors, and principals); intervention during and just after a disaster when large numbers of staff and students are in crisis; and consulting with administrators to develop a districtwide comprehensive crisis management system. Information pertinent to the delivery of direct crisis intervention services is presented, together with information on consultation, intervention, and organizational crisis planning. 312 references and a subject index