The horrific acts of gun violence in El Paso and Dayton sound awfully familiar, and so has been the political reaction. As for the argument that this is more a mental health issue than a gun issue, Jillian Peterson, a psychology professor at Hamline University, talks about the mindset of those who commit gun crimes. It’s maddening enough for … [Read more...]
Guns, Hate, and Inaction: Ken Rudin’s Political Junkie Episode #289
Mass shootings can be contagious, research shows
Are mass shootings truly contagious? According to expert, Dr. Jillian Peterson, it's a form of social contagion, somewhat like a suicide contagion - that's when a high-profile suicide leads to more people to take their own lives. For example, following the suicide of actor Robin Williams, researchers documented a 10% spike in suicides in the months … [Read more...]
Violence Project Seeks To Shift Focus From Reaction To Prevention In Mass Shootings
The Violence Project's Jillian Peterson spoke with reporters from WCCO news after appearing on CBS This Morning. They discussed Dr. Peterson's research and findings about common risk factors. Watch the segment or read about it here. Source: WCCO News Author: Kate Raddatz … [Read more...]
Watch: Common traits like childhood trauma, behavioral changes link mass shooters
The Violence Project has studied every U.S. mass shooting since 1966. Its database, which is not publicly available yet, includes 160 mass shooters who have killed four or more people in a public place. Nearly all were male and the average age was 34-years-old. The study found most shooters shared common traits, like experiencing childhood trauma. … [Read more...]
Grievances, access to guns, notoriety associated with shootings
The Violence Project's finding that mass shooters usually have four common characteristics was quoted in Paul Scott's article following the shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Drs. Peterson and Densley's research was featured alongside remarks from Grant Duwe, a researcher at the Minnesota Bureau of Corrections and national authority on … [Read more...]