School Killers: Risk Factors, Red Flags
1. There is NO ONE FACTOR that causes children to be violent from their antisocial behavior (although the majority of violent children have depression or "no hope" as they feel).
2. 50% discussed murder before the event (where adult killers rarely do)
3. ADHD is very common
4. Lack of safety (violent parents, siblings, or living in a violence ridden area-effects their ability to make good decisions).
5. Feeling of helplessness-Doesn't want to be the victim anymore, wants to make others the victim.
6. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-Could be from a violent past i.e. abusive parents.
Risk Factors:
Past violent behavior
Substance abuse
Aggressive peers (hanging with the "wrong crowd")
Family aggression
Social stress (school, friends, girlfriend, etc.)
Character of mental disorder
Access to weapons
Focused Anger-(threats, hitlist=higher risk, "I hate school" versus "I hate my teacher" or "I hate karen"
Low degree of resilience
Rampage Killers: The difference between children and adults
Adults=Loners/Isolated...Don't tell family or friends
Children acted with support of peers
-Some kids are goaded
-Some boasted of plans, encouraged others to witness
School Violence Characteristics:
Told someone before
Caucasian
Semi-automatic weapons
Half have mental disturbance
*Behaviors of Concern:
Lying
Blaming others-Don't take responsibility for anything
Avoid effort to achieve goals-without goals there is nothing to live for
Lack empathy
Exploit others weaknesses-Though some are the ones picked on and have their weaknesses exploited
Petty crimes
Gang behavior (rare)
Pattern of anger
Violent family history
Sudden interest in guns
Develop intense dislike of school
*Carrying weapons-To school, or anywhere for that matter, this is a big sign
The New Violence: Want immortality, choreographed.
Choreographed for effect-They want respect
Fame/Recognition-Immortality
Set a record of kills
Distortions of reality-Think things are worse than they really are, things of that nature.
Violent heroes (Columbine shooters)
Entitlement
Nothing to lose (mentioned earlier ^)
Copycat Effect:
Prior incidents provide context
Get attention
Play out movies/video games
SIdenote: The media makes school shootings look exciting, shows their faces, covered by many outlets (news, internet, papers, books, movies, etc.)
Suggestions as to children who are most likely to commit these terrible crimes by Jonathan Kellerman, author of "Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children:
Police contact before age 11
Proactive aggression
Low physiological arousal
Sensation seeking-Caused from boredom
Feelings of inadequecy
Erotic violent fantasies
Victim of violence
Low IQ (Where in adult serial killers you would look for an exceptionally high IQ)
Love Deprivation or "Perceived Neglect" as in, they may feel they deserve more attention from parents, teachers, others, even if they do receive a lot of attention.
*This is the last of reflections on violent children, or better put school shooters. We are moving onto serial killers next and also mass murderers, so that will be next addition from my Psych and Antisocial behavior class.
**One thing I'd like to add, while the shooter at Virginia Tech is given credit for the largest mass murder/school shooting in American history, this information is actually incorrect. My professor told us about Andrew Kehoe today, who in 1927 in Bath, Michigan killed 45 (38 gradeschoolers and 7 adults) and injured 58. More information on this can be read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster
As always, any questions feel free to ask
