Mass Shootings in America: Understanding the Debates, Causes, and Responses

by Frank DeAngelis (Foreword by), Jaclyn Schildkraut (Editor)

Overview

This work examines mass shootings in the United States, focusing on events from 1966 to 2016. In addition to providing essential information about each shooting, it surveys underlying causes of such events and potential reforms to prevent future ones.

This book is an informed and informative resource for understanding the reasons for and consequences of mass shootings in America. It includes essays from experts in the fields of criminal justice, sociology, and psychology about key issues surrounding the phenomenon of mass shootings and a collection of opinion pieces that provide insights into debates surrounding gun laws and other issues related to mass shootings. The title also features an encyclopedia section containing entries on every mass shooting in the United States from 1966 to 2016 for easy reference and a collection of illuminating and historically important primary documents pertaining to mass shooting events and the broader problem of violence in American society.

Accessible, authoritative, and comprehensive, Mass Shootings in America will assist a wide range of readers, including budding scholars, seasoned researchers, and members of the general public, to a better understanding of mass shootings and their causes as well as steps that might be taken to reduce their severity and frequency.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765116074
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/28/2023
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	883,804
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Jaclyn Schildkraut, PhD, is associate professor of criminal justice at the State University of New York at Oswego (NY). She is coauthor of Mass Shootings: Media, Myths, and Realities.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Understanding Mass Shootings in America
The Role of Firearms in Mass Shootings
Mass Shooters and Mental Illness
Violent Media and Video Game Effects
School Shootings
School Security Responses after Mass Shootings
Gender and Mass Shootings
Mass Shootings as Hate Crimes
Mass Shootings as Acts of Terrorism
Issues and Challenges for Law Enforcement Responding to Mass Shootings
Insight from Averted Mass Shootings
Responses to Mass Shootings
Encyclopedia of Mass Shooting Events, 1966–2016
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Mass Shootings Q&A: The Experts Weigh In
Guns Affect Society Positively and the Data Proves It
Gun Ownership Should Be Protected; Gun Stockpiling Should Not
Our Gun Laws Are Fine, the System That Implements Them Is Broken
Guns Are Not the Problem
Access to Guns Leads to Increased School Violence
Preventing Mass Shootings: Using Theory to Drive Evidence-Based Practice
A Problem Entailing Many Policy Ideas-But Few Likely to Have Complete Success
Government Options to Stop School Shootings
Let the Locals Decide How to Stop School Shootings
Pivotal Documents in Mass Shootings Research
Gun Control Act of 1968
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act
President Clinton's Remarks on School Violence Following Columbine (1999)
Federal Bureau of Investigation's Report on Threat Assessment of School Shooters (2000)
The Report of Governor Bill Owens' Columbine Review Commission (2001)
President Bush's Weekly Radio Address Following Virginia Tech (2007)
Virginia Tech Review Panel Report (2007)
The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007
New York City Police Departments Report Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation (2012)
President Obama's Remarks on Gun Violence Following Sandy Hook (2013)
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Gun Violence (2013)
Federal Bureau of Investigation's Study of Active Shooter Incidents (2014)
Final Report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission (2015)
Recommended Readings
About the Editor and Contributors
Index

What People are Saying About This

James Alan Fox

"Given the fast-growing interest in the topic of mass shootings, as well as the often contentious debate about causes and solutions, the need is great for an edition like this one. Jaclyn Schildkraut has assembled a superb collection of important research contributed by widely respected experts along with key documents and reports on the topic. I, for one, will keep this volume close at hand for frequent reference."

Douglas Kellner

"Jaclyn Schildkraut has assembled an extremely important text exploring Mass Shootings in America: Understanding the Debates, Causes, and Responses. Schildkraut and her collaborators have assembled a wide range of texts dealing with key issues of firearms, mental health, violent media and video games, warning signs, and ways to deal with potential school and mass shootings. The text contains invaluable compilation of mass shooting events (1966-2016) and pivotal documents, along with a variety of experts who weigh in on the issue. Presentation is clear and straightforward, and is accessible to a younger audience and the general public, as well as scholars who research mass shootings, and politicians and administrators who are tasked to deal with the problems—although we know all too well that Congress and special interest often block rational responses to mass shootings. Everyone concerned with the epidemic of mass shootings in America should read this book and there should be vigorous discussion of how to deal with the problem of mass shootings and those who would ignore the problem."

Ralph Larkin

"Dr. Schildkraut's book is a wonderful resource for all who are interested in mass shootings. She has provided researchers with important documentation and informative discussions by experts in the field on mass shootings, while also giving interested nonprofessional readers an overview of the many facets of the problem. She has masterfully bridged the interests of both professional and lay communities. The essays in the first section of the book provide an intelligent overview of mass shootings: the debates about perpetrator mental health and motivations, root causes, the role of gender, responses by law enforcement, and prevention are well summarized and presented without bias. In addition, mass shootings are viewed through the lenses of terrorism and hate crimes. The encyclopedia of mass shootings is extremely helpful to researchers because of its comprehensiveness. The synopses of each event are an extra benefit. The essays that present the debate over guns and their access provides an unusual and informative view into the various perspectives on gun control and violence. Finally, the section on important documents related to mass shootings provides valuable resources in a single volume. For anybody interested in mass shootings, Dr. Schildkraut has provided a valuable and easily accessible resource."

Editorial Reviews

Mass shootings are not a new phenomenon, and there is a lot of research available; this work's value is that it compiles salient works into a single volume suitable for the general reader interested in an analytical treatment of mass shootings in the U.S.” —Booklist

“This balanced volume effectively juxtaposes practical and theory-based solutions to the problem and includes opposing viewpoints. VERDICT An excellent starting point for student researchers and general readers on a topic that is front-page news on an all-too-frequent basis.” —Library Jourbanal

“The reader is taken into an excellent introduction that quickly brings the novice up to speed with this topic. . . . A nice index and recommended readings area close out this excellent reference work. A great example of a chapter is in the expert Q&A section: 'Government Options to Stop School Shootings' by Dr. Lawrence Southwick, Jr. Eight pages cover several questions in a simple and easy-to-use format. Questions and conclusions are provided and an excellent list of references is available for those wishing to do more research.” —ARBA

From the Publisher

09/01/2018
Editor Schildkraut (social justice, State Univ. of New York at Oswego) succinctly addresses how we define mass shootings, where to obtain data, and the media's impact on our perceptions of the tragedies. This work debates and often debunks assumptions about these violent events. Eleven essays by criminology, sociology, and psychology scholars provide background. An encyclopedic list offers detailed accounts of mass shootings from 1966 to 2016. A second collection of writings features expert commentary on key issues such as gun control, gun stockpiling, and prevention. Relevant documents, a detailed index, and a lengthy list of recommended readings conclude the book. This balanced volume effectively juxtaposes practical and theory-based solutions to the problem and includes opposing viewpoints. VERDICT An excellent starting point for student researchers and general readers on a topic that is front-page news on an all-too-frequent basis.—Rob Tench, Old Dominion Univ. Libs., Norfolk, VA

Library Journal