Causes of School Shootings in America

This essay analyzes the various reasons behind the occurrence of school shootings in America. It identifies several contributing factors, including mental illness, access to firearms, peer relationships, family abuse, local youth dynamics, societal influences such as political climate and cultural norms of violence, and educational disparities. The assignment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted issue of school shootings by examining these interconnected causes.

Running Head: ENGLISH ESSAY
English Essay
Topic- School Shooting in America
Student Name
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1ENGLISH ESSAY
Introduction
A lot of school shooting incidents have been recorded in the last decade. The mass media
has actively reported and followed that kinds of school shooting incidents on the basis of which
analytical report has been formulated for the reasons of school shootings. Change in the
psychology of students towards violence has been the main reason of school shooting incidents
which have become very common in recent days1. The following report contains various causes
and reasons of the school shooting incidents which will portray an analytical scenario for these
antisocial incidents.
Reasons and Causes of School Shooting
Due to serious and intensive mass media coverage of the school shooting incidents there
have been a lot of fuss about the causes of these incidents. It has become a subject of academic
study in the field of Sociology and psychology and academicians have given their perspectives
on the causes of school shooting incidents.According to some academicians these incidents have
been segmented in the level category and specific causes contributing to the school shooting.
This analytical study of the causes are mentioned below.
Individual Causes
Mental Illness: Young children who are in the transition stage of their adolescence are easily
attracted towards violence. Mental illness can be because of depression suicidal tendencies and
bipolar personality disorders which can invoke violent psychology inside a person's brain2. A
child cannot be blamed completely for the violence he has created in school shooting heavy is
1 Baird, Abigail A., Emma V. Roellke, and Debra M. Zeifman. "Alone and adrift: The association between mass
school shootings, school size, and student support." The Social Science Journal(2017).
2 Connelly, Kevin G. A Case Study of Two Chicago Suburban High Schools: Practices to Avoid a School Shooting.
Diss. Cardinal Stritch University, 2017.

2ENGLISH ESSAY
mentally ill and his suffering from any psychological syndrome which is not allowing him to
create a difference between the good and the bad3. Mental problems like bipolar disorders are
seen to make a child violent.
Identity of Shooters: From the studies on school shooting at has been found that most culprits
are of the male gender and moreover they are mostly white males who consider themselves
tough and superior than the others4.
Access to Guns: In a country like America where firearms are easily available the incidents of
school shooting becomes more imperative as children get their hands on the firearms very
easily5.Without firearms the school shooting will not be possible as it is the easiest tool to hurt
anyone and is not very tough to get access to.
Peer Relationships:Children who have weak psychological strength and get intensely affected
by certain psychological traumas such as rejection in romantic relationships and bullying by the
schoolmates let the incidents of school shooting happen. These causes are materialized by the
notion of revenge from ex-lovers or the bully classmate. It is a very common psychology to
retaliate in these matters.
Family Abuse:In American society it is very common phenomenon that children get neglected
by their parents due to weak economic condition of the family due to drug addiction of alcohol
addiction of either of the parents. This makes children of those families notorious and violent
which they perceive from their family environment. Due to these reasons children belonging
from unfriendly neighborhoods resort to the methods of school shooting.
3 Gius, Mark. "The effects of state and Federal gun control laws on school shootings." Applied Economics
Letters (2017): 1-4.
4 Juan, Shao-Chiu, and David Hemenway. "From depression to youth school gun carrying in America: Social
connectedness may help break the link." Cogent social sciences 3.1 (2017): 1314877.
5 Kalesan, Bindu, et al. "School shootings during 2013–2015 in the USA." Injury prevention 23.5 (2017): 321-327.

3ENGLISH ESSAY
Community Causes
Local Youth Dynamics:As stated above the nature of environment in the neighborhood and in
the family determines the psychology of a child in young age the quality of peers and friends
also have Deep Impact on the upbringing and finally the nature of the child6. Children who hail
from neighborhoods where quarrels and fights are very common are mostly the one who are
involved in the school shooting incidents.
School Administration:Occurrence of incidents of violence in school premises lay the
responsibility on the school administration. The relationship between the student and the faculty
is also one of the causes of school shooting incidents. It has been observed that faculty who are
strict and try to suppress the activities of the students become the victims of school shooting
incidents.
Community Environment:The causes of school shooting and not limited to the school premises
but these activities are determined by the environment and climate of a place where children
spend most of the time of the day. The environment in the community where children live is a
major determinant of the school shooting incidents.
Social Context
Education:Lack of education in youth and this orientation towards educational institutions is
one of the major causes of school shooting incidents. Less educated youth are inclining more
towards violence and Resort to these methods to earn money7. Lack of cultural values in the
youth also pushes them away from normal life to become gangsters at young age.
6 Madfis, Eric. "In search of meaning: are school rampage shootings random and senseless violence?." The Journal
of psychology 151.1 (2017): 21-35.
7 Mears, Daniel P., Melissa M. Moon, and Angela J. Thielo. "Columbine Revisited: Myths and Realities About the
Bullying–School Shootings Connection." Victims & Offenders 12.6 (2017): 939-955.

4ENGLISH ESSAY
Masculinity:Boys intheir growing age have a tendency to show their masculinity by doing
violent deeds like School shooting in which they feel that it is a very heroic thing to do which
will establish their masculinity in front of their peers.
Political Climate:In American States where political climate is more inclined towards
conservatism, School shooting incidents have been more frequent8. The political climate of a
place also determines the tendency of the youth to showcase their presence. Religious
conservatism makes the youth intolerant towards other religions which are practiced by their
peers and invigorates school shooting incidents.
Culture of Violence:In many states of America acceptance of guns and weapons a common
phenomenon. This develops a culture of violence among the youth as they grow up seeing other
people possessing guns and using them without any hesitation. Therefore it becomes imperative
for the youth to follow the same culture.
8 O’Toole, Megan J., and Mark R. Fondacaro. "When school-shooting media fuels a retributive public: An
examination of psychological mediators." Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice15.2 (2017): 154-171.

5ENGLISH ESSAY
References
Baird, Abigail A., Emma V. Roellke, and Debra M. Zeifman. "Alone and adrift: The
association between mass school shootings, school size, and student support." The Social
Science Journal(2017).
Connelly, Kevin G. A Case Study of Two Chicago Suburban High Schools: Practices to
Avoid a School Shooting. Diss. Cardinal Stritch University, 2017.
Gius, Mark. "The effects of state and Federal gun control laws on school shootings." Applied
Economics Letters (2017): 1-4.
Juan, Shao-Chiu, and David Hemenway. "From depression to youth school gun carrying in
America: Social connectedness may help break the link." Cogent social sciences 3.1 (2017):
1314877.
Kalesan, Bindu, et al. "School shootings during 2013–2015 in the USA." Injury
prevention 23.5 (2017): 321-327.
Madfis, Eric. "In search of meaning: are school rampage shootings random and senseless
violence?." The Journal of psychology 151.1 (2017): 21-35.
Mears, Daniel P., Melissa M. Moon, and Angela J. Thielo. "Columbine Revisited: Myths and
Realities About the Bullying–School Shootings Connection." Victims & Offenders 12.6
(2017): 939-955.
O’Toole, Megan J., and Mark R. Fondacaro. "When school-shooting media fuels a retributive
public: An examination of psychological mediators." Youth Violence and Juvenile
Justice15.2 (2017): 154-171.