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James Smith
Professor Hugetz

ENGL 1302.04

3 April 2018

School Shootings
Since the horrifying acts of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris at Columbine High School,

school shootings have become more prevalent and alarming in the number of victims in these

tragedies. Recently on February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz murdered 17 students in Parkland,

Florida which has caused many questions on why these tragedies are happening. In the United

States school shootings occur more than any other county in the world. Researchers are

analyzing what is causing these people to conduct such carnage in these sanctuaries such as

schools. There are several behavioral factors that contribute to why a gunman will commit such

an atrocity such as: how they were bullied, relationships and social status, mental disorders, and

easy access to fire arms.

Bullying in schools has been a major issue that breeds hate and resentment in victims of

bullying. Victims of bulling often feel alone and sometimes have little or no intervention from

authoritative figures. According to professors Rosalind Dupelchain and Robert Morris’ research

“School Violence: Reported School Shootings and Making Schools Safer”, Dupelchain and

Morris had reported “out of the 37 schools identified and studied, 75% of the school shooters felt

bullied, threatened, or were attacked or injured by others” (Dupelchain and Morris, p 5). Recent

debate about Cruz in the Parkland school shooting indicates Cruz was in one way or another

bullied by his peers. Some survivors from the Parkland Florida shooting noted that they had a

feeling that Cruz was going to cause a school shooting before the event happened. Dupelchain

and Morris also explain “School Personal too often accept that children get teased and bullied
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every day because teachers, parents, students, and other adults have grown up thinking that that

bullying is a normal part of school life” (Dupelchain and Morris, p 6). School shooters are often

isolated from friends and are bullied with sometimes little to no intervention from authoritative

figures. Bullying is not limited to the school grounds or in person and is often prevalent in social

media outlets known as cyberbullying. According to David Paradice’s “An Analysis of US

School Shooing Data (1840-2015)”, that most school shooters are “just angry about something”

(Paradice, p 6). The anger that is caused usually stems from bullying in school and rejection.

Kirk Harlow and Roe Roberts’ research in “Am Exploration of the Relationship Between Social

and Psychological Factors and Being Bullied” noted “experience of bullying was more common

among children who were less physically attractive, overweight, and had disability problems

such as sight, hearing, or speech deficits” (Harlow and Roberts, p 16). Deficiencies such as

disabilities and those less attractive can cause even more strain on those bullied fueling more

resentment and hatred towards the populous. Although, bullying is not an excuse to commit

atrocities such as school shootings, it has been identified as a key factor that may cause them.

Relationships and social status can be very stress full on teens and could cause them to

feel rejected and disgruntled from their peers. According to Paradice, “In 328 if the shooting

events where the gender of the shooter can be determined (n=337), the shooter is male (97%)”

(Paradice, p 143). Males often need reassurance to their masculinity when the topic of females

are involved. In some instances of school shootings, the male shooter will target females that

have rejected or belittled the shooter in the past. The Journal of Investigative Psychology and

Offender Profiling has noted in a study that “Three Quarters of the offenders in the study

conducted by Vossekuil et al. (2002) had experienced rejection by peers (including romantic

breakups)” (Gerard, et al, p25). Family relationships issues can also be a major risk factor as
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“…the lack of attachment with their parents or caregivers at the beginning of their life has

contributed to some of the action of school shooters” noted by Dupelchain and Morris

(Dupelchain and Morris, p 147). Dupelchain and Morris also identify that “Most of the shooters

either had a very poor relationship with their parents or had no relationship at all” (Dupelchain

and Morris, p 147). Many school shooters can be categorized as “loners” and have a sense of

loneliness or not fitting in with peers and family. In the Journal of Investigative Psychology and

Offender Profiling indicates, “the 41 offenders in their study…12% had no close friends, and

34% were perceived (either by themselves or others) as loners” (Gerald, et al, p25). Patterns in

school shooters have shown that majority of them either have a poor social status and or poor

relationships with peers and family.

Individuals with mental health disorders have been a hot topic in recent news in whether

there should be stricter gun control laws regarding individuals with mental health disorders and

how strong are ties to mental health and gun violence. Many of the infamous school shooters

have been diagnosed or observed to have some type of mental disorder including Virginia Tech

gunman Cho Seung-Hui and Sandy Hook gunman Adam Lanza. In Jonathan Metzl and Kenneth

MacLeish’s article “Mental Illness, Mass, Shootings, and the Politics of American Firearms” has

identified “Reports suggest that up to 60% of perpetrators of mass shootings in the United States

since 1970 displayed symptoms including acute paranoia, delusions, and depression… (Metzl

and Kenneth, p. 1). One of the Columbine High School shooters Eric Harris before the shooting

was prescribed antidepressant medication. There have been debates on mental illness as a factor

and many have accused this mental illness as being a scapegoat to the issue of gun control.

However, it is undeniable to exclude mental illness in instances of school shootings.

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Another reason why some students will commit school shootings is simply because fire

arms are so easily accessible in the United States. People are able to purchase fire arms at the age

of eighteen with a clean criminal record or acquire fire arms through friends or family. Dylan

Klebold and Eric Harris where able to acquire multiple fire arms through acquaintances even

when the pair were underage. Nikolas Cruz was able to purchase multiple fire arms even with a

criminal record. It seems with the recent events of school shootings; fire arms are to easily

accessible.

School shootings in America have been become more prevalent in recent history.

Researchers have categorized behavior issues such as bullying, family and social issues, and

mental disorders being contributing factors in why a school shooter commits a violent act in

schools. Implementing stricter gun control laws, practicing active shooter drills, and eliminating

bullying can all help solve the issue and reduce violence within schools. Creating awareness

programs that can help peers, teachers, and parents identify someone who would potentially

become a school shooter can become a deterrent. Schools should be a place of sanctuary without

the fear of gun violence.

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Works Citied

Gerard, F., et al. “Offender and Offence Characteristics of School Shooting.” Journal of

Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, vol. 13, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 22-33.

Academic Search Complete, doi: 10.11002/jip.1439. Accessed 6 Mar. 2018.

Duplechain, Rosalind, and Robert Morris, “School Violence: Reported School Shootings and

Making Schools Safer”. Education, vol. 135, no. 2,2014, pp. 22-38. Masterfile Premier,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=100464126&site=ehost-live.

Accessed 6 Mar. 2018.

Harlow, Kirk, and Roe Roberts, “An Exploration of the Relationship Between Social and

Psychological Factors and Being Bullied”. Children & Schools, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 15.

Masterfile Premier,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=47279211&site=ehost-live.

Accessed 24 Mar. 2018

Metzl, Jonathan, and Kenneth MacLeish, “Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of

American Firearms”. American Journal of Public Health, vol. 105, no. 2, Feb. 2015, pp.

240-249. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302242. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.

Paradice, David. “An Analysis of US School Shooting Data (1840-2015).” Education, vol. 138,

no. 2, 2017, pp. 135-144. Masterfile Premier.

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=126936152&site=ehost-live.

Accessed 6 Mar. 2018

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School Shootings

Thesis: There are several behavioral factors that contribute to why a gunman will commit such

an atrocity such as: how they were bullied, relationships and social status, and mental disorders.

I. Bullying

II. Relationships and Social Status

III. Mental Disorders

IV. Easy Access to Fire Arms