Female Students and Cultures of Violence in Cities (Routledge Studies in Education, Neoliberalism, and Marxism)

As the economy constricts, it seems living with a chronic sense of fear and anxiety is the new normal for a growing number of urban females. Many females are susceptible to victimization by cumulative strands of violence in school, their communities, families and partnerships. Exposure to violence has been shown to contribute to physical and mental health problems, a propensity for substance abuse, transience and homelessness, and unsurprisingly, poor school attendance and performance. What does a girl do when there is no place to get away from this, and even school is a danger zone? Why have so many educators turned their attention away from the reality of violence against girls? Why is there a tendency to categorize such violence as just another example of the general concept of "bullying?"

Critical educators who research the effects of current market logics on the schooling of marginalized youth have yet fully to focus on this issue. This volume puts the reality of violence in the lives of urban school girls back on the map, investigates answers to the above questions, and presents suggestions for change.

Julia Hall is Professor of Education Policy at D’Youville College. In her research she considers the school and community experiences of youth who have been economically and culturally marginalized in cities in the context of a rapidly changing economy. She is likewise focused on gendered violence and female students. Her books include Canal Town Youth: Community Organization and the Development of Adolescent Identity, Underprivileged Schoolchildren and the Assault on Dignity: Policy Challenges and Resistance, and Children’s Human Rights and Public Schools in the United States.