We asked an expert on the psychology of school shooters to share his most valuable research.
All of Drift Net’s followers are (or should be!) aware of our deep appreciation of Peter Langman, Ph.D. ’s dedicated career and prolific research into the psychology of school shooters. Long-time followers have probably visited schoolshooters.info–Dr. Langman’s website where he hosts a robust library of resources, articles and research relating to school shooters and similar mass attackers.
This database contains over 600 documents, totaling more than 60,000 pages, covering information on nearly 160 perpetrators of school shootings. This volume of information can be substantial for those unfamiliar with the topic, so we asked Dr. Langman to identify 5 articles from his website that he finds most valuable, exclusively for Drift Net’s Newsletter subscribers! Give them each a read and add more value to your violence prevention teams:
1.
This study explores the backgrounds of ten school shooters involved in rampage killings. It delves into both their commonalities and their unique characteristics. By analyzing available data, the perpetrators are classified into three distinct groups: traumatized, psychotic, and psychopathic.
2.
This study examines 64 school shooters who committed multi-victim attacks in the United States during the years 1966 - 2015. Results include demographic analysis of age, venues of attack, racial/ethnic identity, magnitude of attacks, and frequency of perpetrator suicide.
3.
This article analyzes 5 attackers' motivations explored through the lens of body image, psychological state (psychopathic, psychotic, or traumatized), and social struggles. The analysis focuses on how they may have used violence to address their perceived inadequacies related to masculinity.
4.
This article explores how school shooters may exhibit warning signs in their behavior – communication with peers, schoolwork, online activity, and interactions with family.
5.
This summary contains objective data on the outcomes of school shootings. It presents the factual events of these incidents based on the attackers' actions, without speculation on their intended goals.
Explore the entire database:
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In 1968, Sony released Trinitron, a television set boasting a new type of cathode-ray tube that resulted in a brighter, more colorful, higher-fidelity viewing experience. This was accomplished only after Masaru Ibuka, Sony's then president and co-founder, refused to settle with the components available on the market, which he deemed inferior. Instead, he put trust in his engineers to build something in-house that was more competent, more innovative than the status quo, resulting in not only a highly successful product, but a milestone in television technology.
At Drift Net, we employ a similar philosophy to creating physical security solutions–because when it comes to saving lives, there is no room for short cuts or inferior components. Every piece of hardware, every microscopic detail is considered and polished until we can deliver an unblemished product. This level of quality certainly comes at a cost (e.g. hair-pulling, long midnight hours in front of the CNC machine, and rechecking the re-checks), but as anyone that works at Drift Net’s West Loop facility can agree, it is a worthwhile and righteous effort.
How do rural schools maintain a standard of safety?
Remote locations and tight budgets create a safety hurdle for rural schools. Longer emergency response times, limited staff, and lack of resources make it tough to keep students safe. Funding that considers their unique needs is crucial to creating a secure learning environment. Learn about the experiences of a small school district in rural Indiana in our latest blog post!
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Drift Net | Director of Research and School Safety Training
4moThanks for helping to get the information to the people who need it--much appreciated!