Author: Deborah J. Hill

Publisher: Charles C Thomas Publisher

Published: 2003-01-01

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 0398084327

The purpose of this book is to share knowledge from the author�s personal experience as well as to provide information culled from multiple and varied specialists in the field of emergency services and crisis management. The crisis aspect as discussed in this book deals with it as a disaster, emergency, calamity, or catastrophe that is usually time-limited and associated with danger. The first chapters focus on aspects of human nature that can lead to a crisis and attempt to answer why people resort to using violence. Family systems, particularly the dysfunctional family, are reviewed and a discussion of personality disorders is followed by a review of some of the more negative aspects of human nature, as shown both as individuals and as humans, functioning as a society and in looking at the family environment as a cause of crisis. In addition to a review of social factors, there is particular emphasis on self-defeating and self-destructive behaviors that often lead to a crisis. Part II concentrates on the management of anger and violence and also reviews some successful and unsuccessful disciplinary practices used to deal with misbehavior, including problems associated with absenteeism and truancy. Teenage pregnancy and the drug crisis in schools are also examined in this section. Training and basic self-defense techniques, assertiveness skills, and disaster preparedness are significant aspects of crisis management and are also reviewed in this section. Part III concentrates on negotiation and communication skills that are often the most crucial aspects of successful crisis management programs. The final section of this book is about healing and has been gathered from a variety of sources. In particular, the chapter on grief and loss is the result of interviewing many people around the world over the past 15 years, in the wake of a variety of tragedies, This section of the book also looks at practical ways to cope with the aftermath of crisis, including stress management techniques, various forms of traditional and alternative therapies, and the use of humor as a defense mechanism and coping strategy. One of the purposes of this book is to gather practical information and to organize and consolidate it for easy reference. Although this book was originally written for teachers, it will also prove helpful to anyone who is associated with schools.