Why did the April 20, 1999, mass shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado become a blueprint for future shooters? After all, it was hardly the first time that shootings took place on school campuses. This post looks into how “society and culture have reared a Columbine generation,” and what role the media played. Read … [Read more...]
School shootings didn’t start in 1999 at Columbine. Here’s why that disaster became a blueprint for other killers and created the ‘Columbine Generation’
Terrorism is a performance. Don’t watch. And, Facebook, stop making us.
"They want you to watch." James Densley and Jill Peterson write about how the prevalence of violence in the media serves terrorists' interests in spreading destruction. The widespread use of social media platforms paved the way for the mass shooting of 50 worshipers to be livestreamed on Facebook: a performance of violence for the world. Densley … [Read more...]
We can do more to prevent mass workplace shootings like Aurora, Illinois
Since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, violence prevention has largely targeted schools. Lockdown drills, arming teachers, metal detectors, and evacuation plans are just some of the strategies form for schools. Meanwhile, there have been four times as many mass shootings in workplaces. There have been almost 50 workplace shooters in the … [Read more...]
Is Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training evidence-based practice? A systematic review
This study reviews 25 empirical research articles that have examined the impact of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training over the past 10 years. Overall, little can be said about the effectiveness of CIT training due to varying outcomes, a reliance on self-report data, lack of comparison or control groups, and inadequate follow-up data. Results … [Read more...]
Police crisis intervention training: We need a new paradigm, not a new building
Two proposed multimillion-dollar law enforcement training centers are competing for funding at the Legislature. One of these facilities, the $13.2 million Dakota County Safety and Mental Health Alternative Response Training (SMART) Center, would be dedicated to crisis intervention training. We applaud any and all efforts to properly fund law … [Read more...]