Innocent Targets: When Terrorism Comes to School [Hardcover]

Michael Dorn and Chris Dorn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

Innocent Targets – When Terrorism Comes to School provides an informed and rational examination of this difficult subject, starting with the 1970 murder of nine Israeli school children and three adults in a brutal attack that left nineteen others crippled for life. Tracing the history of school related terrorist attacks in twelve countries to Beslan and its aftermath, the renowned father and son co-authoring team invoke the counsel of other top experts in evaluating this timely, emotional and critical subject.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

The authors' purpose is "…to increase awareness…and identify skills to prevent, reduce the impact, and recover from any potential terrorist incident." The book's major sections include discussions of terrorism around the world, evaluations of related behaviors, processes for fighting threats in schools, and analysis of the likelihood of attacks and the potential impact. Straightforward reporting and the inclusion of possible preventative measures give this title a professional edge over the many reports in the media that prey upon the fears that the general public has about safety issues. Well-defined headings and subheadings, bulleted lists, and sidebars with important quotes from the text enhance the organization of the material. An appendix with lists of related agencies and a list of sources (somewhat spotty in its thoroughness) is included. All in all, this is a balanced, fact-based approach to understanding the risks that schools may face, and supportive solutions to reducing these risks are clearly outlined.-Beth Jones, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

". . . brings clarity and reason to a topic few people see clearly, and most people can't stand to consider." --Gavin de Becker, Author of "The Gift of Fear"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 153 pages
• Publisher: Safe Havens International, Inc. (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097412401X
• ISBN-13: 978-0974124018
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dealing with potential terrorism at schools, July 5, 2005

By 

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Innocent Targets: When Terrorism Comes to School (Hardcover)

Michael Dorn is an internationally-recognized expert of school safety and anti-terrorist measures who has worked with government agencies, foreign law-enforcement departments, among other organizations. He is also associated with the leading defense and intelligence agency Jane's. After analyzing a few notorious incidents from around the world where terrorists took school children hostage for the reasons for the success or failure of government authorities in dealing with them, Dorn--with his co-author his son, also a recognized authority by government agencies and the media--discusses general principles which can prevent a terrorist incident, be prepared for one if it does occur, and if so minimize the number of school children and teachers taken hostage and the potential loss of life. The timely, authoritative manual addresses the natural concern over the safety of children with a realistic perspective on the probability of a terrorist attack on any particular school. The recommendations put forward follow the guideline of being pertinent and responsible without being excessively costly to school systems and governments at different levels.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars of moderate value, February 10, 2009

By 

T. Appleby - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Innocent Targets: When Terrorism Comes to School (Hardcover)

The base premise for this book is correct but it lacks sufficient development. Facts need to be checked more closely, ie Beslan. The authors take a subject that does need serious attention and give it a gloss over, granted we do not wish to hand terrorist a play book, but the book should be more detailed on terrorists group, mindset.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Falls short on details and relevant information, April 15, 2010

By 

Tradecraft (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Innocent Targets: When Terrorism Comes to School (Hardcover)

Innocent Targets: When Terrorism Comes to School by Michael Dorn and Chris Dorn is really a brief overview of school violence related to terrorism. Chapters 1-4 discuss terrorist events that have occurred in schools. Unfortunately, the information is so brief and without significant analysis that is fails to add value to the book. In addition, there is some information presented on the Beslan school massacre that is not factually correct. The remainder of the book has sections on:

- Terrorist Tendencies
- Combating Terrorism in Schools
- Impacts and Analysis

Again, these sections are very brief and really leave out significant detail. Innocent Targets is more of an outline on important information that must be considered to have safer schools. I do not believe this book would be a valuable resource for those looking to implement a school safety plan.

This is not a book that I would recommend. I would strongly recommend Terror at Beslan by John Giduck which is an excellent book about the Beslan school massacre.