MONTE VISTA — People are taking notice of first-time author Marianna King’s “The Crisis of School Violence: A New Perspective.”

The Monte Vista resident’s 300-plus page book was published in December of 2020 and is available from Michigan State University Press through its website at www.msupress.org and at fine bookstores.

“The Crisis of School Violence” is the only interdisciplinary book about school violence, according to MSU Press. It presents a broad and in-depth approach to the key questions about why bullying continues at an unprecedentedly high rate and why rampage school shootings continue to shock the nation.

Based on extensive research, “The Crisis of School Violence” investigates human nature and its relation to aggressive behavior, with a special focus on the culture of violence that predicates school violence, including rampage shootings, and perpetuates industries that profit from violence.

King presents the considerable psychological and neuroscientific research that investigates the effects of violent entertainment media on the brain and, subsequently, on behavior, which clearly reveals a causal connection between exposure to violent electronic entertainment media — especially violent video games — and increased aggressive and violent behavior.

The book also reveals a more specific connection between exposure to violent video games and rampage school shootings. Ultimately this volume is a call to action that includes recommendations for parents, teachers, decision makers, and citizens alike.

“It doesn’t take the reader very long to realize Marianna King’s perspective is insightful. Her definitive study is ideal for anyone seeking a better understanding of a very challenging subject,” stated Guy Rathbun, producer, Public Radio Exchange, National Public Radio.

King’s book, “The Crisis of School Violence,” is a “must-read for anyone interested in the level of violence in American schools. This is not an opinion piece; it is grounded in research evidence. It also treats this important topic with the complexity it deserves, covering multiple risk factors for school violence. No single factor can account for violence in schools,” stated Brad J. Bushman, Professor of Communication and Margaret Hall and Robert Randal Rinehart Chair of Mass Communication, Ohio State University.

King’s academic and professional work focuses on violence and violence prevention. As an educator, she has worked with elementary school children in gang-active communities as well as university students, gang members, and violent offenders.

She has published articles for the National School Boards Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Association for Middle Level Education, and the American School Counselor Association, among other organizations.

Because of her groundbreaking work in violence prevention, she was honored with a New Mexico Woman of the Year award in 2000.