Read more
School shootings are a topic of research in a variety of different disciplines-from psychology, to sociology to criminology, pedagogy, and public health-each with their own set of theories. Many of these theories are logically interconnected, while some differ widely and seem incompatible with each other, leading to divergent results about potential means of prevention. In this innovative work, leading researchers on the topic of school shootings introduce their findings and theoretical concepts in one combined systematic volume.The contributions to this work highlight both the complementary findings from different fields, as well as cases where they diverge or contradict each other. The work is divided into four main sections: an overview of current theoretical approaches and empirical models; application of these theories to international cases, including Columbine (USA), Emsdetten (Germany), and Tuusula (Finland); a critique of the influence of the media, both in the portrayals of past events and its effect on future events; and finally an overview of existing models for prevention and intervention, and measures of their success. The result is a comprehensive source for current research on school shootings, and will provide a direction for future research.
List of contents
Chapter 1. School Shootings: Conceptual Framework and International Empirical Trends-.- I.Theories, models and empirical findings-.- Social Disintegration, Loss of Control, and School Shootings-.-Adolescent Culture and the Tragedy of Rampage Shootings-.-School Rampage in International Perspective: The Salience of Cumulative Strain Theory-.-On the Relevance of Phantasy for the Genesis of School Shootings-.-Thirty-Five Rampage School Shooters: Trends, Patterns, and Typology-.- II. Case Studies and perspectives-.- Legitimated Adolescent Violence: Lessons from Columbine-.-Jeffrey Weise and the Shooting at Red Lake Minnesota High School: A Behavioral Perspective-.-Jokela: The Social Roots of a School Shooting Tragedy in Finland-.-A Catastrophic Solution: Psychoanalytic Perspectives on a Samurai School Attack in South Africa-.-Unforgiven and Alone: Brenda Spencer and Secret Shame-.- III. Media reporting and media effects-.- School Shootings as Mediatized Violence-.-The Role of Media Content in the Genesis of School Shootings: The Contemporary Discussion-.-Revolution of the Dispossessed: School Shooters and their Devotees on the Web-.- IV.Prevention and intervention concepts-.- International Perspectives on Prevention and Intervention in School Shootings-.-School Shootings in Germany : Research, Prevention Through Risk Assessment and Threat Management-.-The Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines: An Empirically Supported Violence Prevention Strategy-.-Indicated Prevention of Severe Targeted School Violence: NETWorks Against School Shootings (NETWASS)-.-Averted School Shootings-.-Crisis Management in School Shooting Situations: The School-A Forgotten Factor in the Equation-.-Democratic Education and Promotion of Social Skills in Schools and Classrooms as Primary Prevention: An Overview of the Discourse in Germany-.-School Shootings, Crises of Masculinities, and the Reconstruction of Education: Some Critical Perspectives.
About the author
Dr. Wilhelm Heitmeyer ist Professor an der Universität Bielefeld und Leiter des Instituts für interdisziplinäre Konflikt- und Gewaltforschung.
Summary
School shootings are a topic of research in a variety of different disciplines—from psychology, to sociology to criminology, pedagogy, and public health—each with their own set of theories. Many of these theories are logically interconnected, while some differ widely and seem incompatible with each other, leading to divergent results about potential means of prevention. In this innovative work, leading researchers on the topic of school shootings introduce their findings and theoretical concepts in one combined systematic volume.
The contributions to this work highlight both the complementary findings from different fields, as well as cases where they diverge or contradict each other. The work is divided into four main sections: an overview of current theoretical approaches and empirical models; application of these theories to international cases, including Columbine (USA), Emsdetten (Germany), and Tuusula (Finland); a critique of the influence of the media, both in the portrayals of past events and its effect on future events; and finally an overview of existing models for prevention and intervention, and measures of their success. The result is a comprehensive source for current research on school shootings, and will provide a direction for future research.
Additional text
From the reviews:
“School Shootings: International Research, Case Studies, and Concepts for Prevention represents an important contribution to the emerging field of research on school rampage shootings, a field that draws from expertise in criminology, psychology, sociology, and media studies. … The volume fills a unique niche and provides a rich foundation for this emerging area of study. This is a book for specialists in this research area as well as for practitioners focused on attenuating risk factors.” (Kellina M. Craig-Henderson, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 58 (24), June, 2013)
Report
From the reviews:
"School Shootings: International Research, Case Studies, and Concepts for Prevention represents an important contribution to the emerging field of research on school rampage shootings, a field that draws from expertise in criminology, psychology, sociology, and media studies. ... The volume fills a unique niche and provides a rich foundation for this emerging area of study. This is a book for specialists in this research area as well as for practitioners focused on attenuating risk factors." (Kellina M. Craig-Henderson, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 58 (24), June, 2013)
