Safe Within These Walls: De-Escalating School Situations Before They Become Crises

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"In the wake of school tragedies and the growing concern about creating safe environments for children, teachers, parents, and school personnel, this resource provides practical techniques and guidelines for de-escalating aggression with insight and finesse rather than with force. Andra Medea, an instructor in conflict management and nationally recognized expert, developed the Virtual Tranquilizer, a set of non-contact de-escalation techniques used by psychiatric staff, school administrators, and even court personnel. In this readily accessible book, she explains how to manage aggression from tantrums to mental health issues and school shootings, using anecdotes, research-informed techniques, and, at times, humor. Readers will find the concrete tools they need to create a positive climate in which they recognize signs of building aggression and use practical techniques to head it off: demonstrating that the best way to handle violence is to keep it from happening in the first place."