Dr. Jill Peterson sat down with Jana Shortal to discuss how to process mass shootings. "I think as we get hit with more of these events, they're happening over and over and over again, it's human. You have to let the shock wear off. It's not going to hit you in the same way. We learn sort of psychologically how to process this and so it just … [Read more...]
Trying to make sense of mass shootings
How social media sends extremism into overdrive
The Violence Project's Jillian Peterson and James Densley wrote an article for CNN about how social media enables extremism. They examine how extreme groups coalesce and organize through social media, and what we can do to prevent it. "Let's stop being the audience the extremists want. If we walk out of the show, the extremists might be forced … [Read more...]
Verdict in police shooting of Philando Castile: The fear defense should have us all afraid
Why? Because it's emotional, not a rational assessment of danger. And police officers are trained to be particularly susceptible. Drs. James Densley and Jillian Peterson argue that because the fear defense is an expression of emotion rather than logic, the law needs to be changed. Bulletproof facts struggle to win debates or sway opinions on … [Read more...]
Cyber violence: What do we know and where do we go from here?
This paper reviews the existing literature on the relationship between social media and violence, including prevalence rates, typologies, and the overlap between cyber and in-person violence. This review explores the individual-level correlates and risk factors associated with cyber violence, the group processes involved in cyber violence, and the … [Read more...]
Why the trend of posting gruesome acts online?
Police have found the suspect who shot and killed an elderly victim and posted footage of the deed on Facebook. He took his own life before he could be taken into custody. His act was yet another example of a new trend — “performance violence” on social media. From the live torture of a mentally disabled teenager in Chicago to the performance … [Read more...]