school shootings presentation

Nathaniel Mills, Ph.D.

Psychologist (psy 23861)

916-722-7792

www.nathanielmills.com

drmills@nathanielmills.com

Student Violence on Campus: A Data Driven Approach to Threat Prevention, Assessment, and Management

Profile of a School Shooter

Profile of a School Shooter

Safe School Initiative (SSI) Identified

37 incidents of school violence41 attackersoccurring between 1974 and 2000.

SSI Findings:Characteristics of A School Shooter

41% were “mainstream students”or socialized with “mainstream students.

SSI Findings:Characteristics of A School Shooter

44% were involvedin some organizedsocial activity(i.e., club)

SSI Findings:Characteristics of A School Shooter

SSI Findings:Characteristics of A School Shooter

63% werewell-behaved.

SSI Findings:Characteristics of A School Shooter

39% were notretaliating foran injustice

41% showed littleor no interest inviolence prior totheir attack.

SSI Findings:Profile of a School Shooter

There is no accurate or useful “profile” of students who engaged in targeted school violence.

A + B + C ≠ School Shooter

SSI Findings:Characteristics of A School Shooter

93% plannedout their attackin advance

SSI Findings:Behavioral Cues 93% engaged in behavior that caused

concern 81% of the time

someone knewabout the plan

Empirically Informed Threat Prevention Identifying the Red Flags Relay the Red Flags to the appropriate

administrator(s).

Obstacles to Communication: Scattered Information Many people knowing half the story No one knowing the whole story.

Obstacles to Communication:WHAT and WHERE to report? Training for:

RA’sNew FacultyNew AdministratorsStudents

Obstacles to Communication: Fear Consequences of reporting. Students may not want to report.

Obstacles to Communication: Scattered Information Lack of knowledge about

What andWhere to report

Fear of Consequences

Suggestions Central location for information from:

FacultyAdministrationStudents

Trainings for students, new faculty, and new administrators on:Identifying andReporting red flag behaviors

Anonymous drop box for concerns.

References At, Deidra (2008). Black and Missing But Not Forgotten: Latina

William’s Mother Releases Statement Regarding the LA Technical College Tragedy. Retrieved on May 1, 2009 from http://blackandmissing.blogspot.com/2008/02/latina-williams-mother-releases.html.

Langman, Peter (2009). Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Bartol, C.R., Bartol, A.M. (2008). Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing

Vossekuil, B., Fein, R.A., Reddy, M., Borum, R, Modzeleski, W. (2002). The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States. Retrieved on May 1, 2009 from www.secretservice.gov/ntac/ssi_final_report.pdf.