Title
Rampage School Shootings
Publication Date
2018
Document Type
Book Chapter
Abstract
We introduce readers to the social problem of rampage school shootings and discuss the associated patterns, causes, and best practices for their prevention. While media coverage might suggest otherwise, rampage shootings at schools are extremely rare, even if they often yield much carnage and anxiety. At the individual level, some have focused on the mental illnesses or personality disorders of rampage killers. At the macro-sociological level, others have clarified the role that masculinity and widespread acceptance of gun culture play in reinforcing and legitimizing violence. Some scholars have recently attempted to achieve a more multifaceted, holistic, and cross-disciplinary understanding of the causes of school rampages. Moreover, the so-called copycat phenomenon is now recognized as a factor in a number of high-profile, high–body count murders. In order to avert future rampage attacks, schools must seek to forge genuinely positive school climates that encourage student bystanders to intervene in a responsible manner. © Cambridge University Press 2018.
Publication Title
The Cambridge Handbook of Social Problems
Volume
2
First Page
253
Last Page
268
Recommended Citation
Scopus
COinS
