Characteristics of schools in which fatal shootings occur.
School-based violence, and fatal school shootings in particular, have gained increased attention in the media and psychological literature. Most reports have focused on the characteristics of perpetrators, but there is a growing awareness that school-related factors may also influence the occurrence of fatal school shootings. The current study examined several key characteristics of all schools where random (38) and targeted (96) fatal shootings occurred in the United States between 1966 and 2009. These were compared with a group (138) of schools randomly selected to represent the population of all schools in the United States. The size of a school's enrollment, urban or suburban locale, public funding, and predominantly non-white enrollment were positively associated with fatal shootings. Universities and colleges were disproportionately associated with random shootings and high schools with targeted ones. It was proposed that characteristics of schools that allow feelings of anonymity or alienation among students may help create environmental conditions associated with fatal school shootings. Implications for future research and interventions are considered.
Psychology Department, Concordia University-Irvine, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, CA 92632-3203, USA. roberto.flores@cui.edu
Roberto Flores
RF
de Apodaca
Lauren M
LM
Brighton
Ashley N
AN
Perkins
Kiana N
KN
Jackson
Jessica R
JR
Steege
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005380:Financing, Government; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012918:Social Alienation; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult