Dress Rehearsals for Gun Violence

As a companion to their edited volume A Relentless Threat, this collection from editors VanSlyke-Briggs and Bloom once again calls attention to the voices of those who have been living with the psychological and physiological wounds consequent to school-related violence. Dress Rehearsal for Gun Violence invites readers to look more deeply into the emotionally vulnerable space in which an individual’s covert responses to episodes of school shooting are often overlooked or disregarded. Each chapter serves as a platform to showcase a diverse range of trauma and demonstrates how the different responses to violence manifest uniquely across individuals who share similarly life-altering experiences. The contributors' voices reveal narratives filled with raw emotions that transcend a sense of urgency in recognizing the hidden and blatant triggers associated with the trauma of gun violence. This book should become a permanent reference in libraries serving scholars, practitioners, and families in search of a profound understanding of the ripple effects of school violence. Highly recommended. All levels. * Choice Reviews *
It is deeply disturbing what the United States, in the name of Second Amendment gun rights, is doing to our children. It is as if children have no rights. Part of what makes this book special is that the editors were able to include contributions from educators, psychologists, sociologists, and policy makers who responded to questions raised by middle school and high school students about gun violence. We can only hope the book influences government officials to hear the cry of the children. -- Alan Singer, professor of secondary education and director of social studies education, Hofstra University; author of "Education Flashpoints, Fighting for America’s Schools"
VanSlyke-Briggs and Bloom’s edited book amplifies the voices of educators interrogating their experiences with, and responses to, the constant threat of gun violence in our nation’s schools. Through solidly researched and personally reflective chapters, teachers, teacher educators, and librarians highlight the human costs when a country is willing to accept the trauma and anxiety caused by school gun violence. This book’s consideration of ways to address gun violence with students and teachers is both honest and clear. Dress Rehearsals for Gun Violence: Confronting Trauma and Anxiety in America’s Schools is a compelling read for educators and non-educators alike. -- Melanie Shoffner, professor of middle, secondary, and mathematics education, James Madison University; author of "When the Gun Isn’t Metaphorical: Educating Teachers in the Age of School Shootings"