Preventing School Shootings

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses adolescent bullying behavior and general personal and family-based psychological dysfunctions that often trigger violent acts. The paper further discusses how the sensational nature of shooting events contributes to the copycat phenomenon. The paper contends that more than other factors, the widespread availability of firearms in the United States results in more school shootings than would be possible if firearms were more difficult to acquire and more tightly regulated. The paper thus concludes that regardless of the sincerity of efforts directed at other contributory elements, failure to address gun control will handicap our ability to prevent school shootings.

Outline:
Introduction
School Bullying and Other Psychological Factors
Gun Control
Publicity and the Copycat Phenomenon
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"School shootings have occurred periodically in the United States and the rest of the world ever since Charles Whitman, a University of Texas engineering student, took up his sniper position in the Bell Tower above the campus, killing 16 people and wounding another 31 before being killed by police in 1966 (USSS & UDDOE 2002). Since then, some of the most infamous incidents include the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado that took 15 lives and the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre that accounted for more deaths (33) than any other American school shooting."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Schwartz, Emma. The Right To Bear Arms; U.S. News & World Report (March 17, 2008) pp. 38-43.
• USSS & USDOE (2002) Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide To Managing Threatening Situations and To Creating Safe School Climates. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/PDFs/061002_School_Thre at_Assessment.pdf

More papers on Preventing School Shootings:

• Analytical Essay # 36406 : "School Shootings"
• Research Paper # 109756 : "School Shootings and Social Learning Theory"
• Research Paper # 131510 : "Social Learning Theory and School Shootings"

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