LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE School violence is a serious and recurring issue in American education and has negative implications for all school stakeholders (Eisenbraun, 2007; S. L. Johnson, 2009; Mayer & Cornell, 2010; Morrison, Furlong, D’Incau, & Morrison, 2005). Th e presence or absence of violence in a school lies at the heart of school quality (Jacobson, Brooks, Giles, Johnson, & Ylimaki, 2007; Verdugo & Schneider, 1999), and determines whether or not eff ective teaching and engaged learning can take place. Th e eff ects of safety extend to all domains of life. Being and feeling safe is linked to positive academic, behavioral, and socioemotional outcomes for students (Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009; Twemlow, Fonagy, & Sacco, 2002). For example, students who have been bullied have higher rates of delinquency and truancy than those who have not (Gastic, 2008). Students who are victims of violence at school are also at increased risk of repeated victimization and serious delinquency as adults (Henry, 2009). Additionally, negative consequences have been noted for both the victims and perpetrators of bullying violence (Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Houbre, Tarquinio, Th uillier, & Hergott, 2006). Teachers, who themselves can be victims of violence at school (e.g., S. Snyder, 2008), are aff ected by the violence among students. School violence is associated with low morale and retention problems for teachers, especially at urban public schools (Smith & Smith, 2006).