Since the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999, education and public safety policy has emphasized situational crime prevention and law enforcement response in an effort to prevent shooting casualties. School security is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Yet, many of the alleged solutions to school shootings are expensive, dangerous, … [Read more...]
School Safety: The Violence Project Speaks
Gun Violence in America: The Psychology of Mass Shooters
The Violence Project's Jillian Peterson joined Dr. Celine Gounder to discuss the psychology of mass shooters and findings from The Violence Project's mass shooter database. Listen to the Podcast Transcript available here. Source: In Sickness and In Health Podcast - Season 3, Episode 25 Length: 40 minutes … [Read more...]
Active shooter drills have become common in Pittsburgh-area schools but mental health effects remain unknown
Ellie Miller knows to arm herself if her school is under attack. She is 8. In fall 2018, Miller’s third-grade class learned what to do in case an active shooter invaded her school. She says her teacher instructed her to pick up a nearby object. This object, whatever it may be, would be Miller’s last defense against an active shooter. If he entered … [Read more...]
Active Shooter Drills Can Harm Participants’ Mental Health
On today’s program: Pennsylvania's attorney general marks one year since the release of a grand jury report exposing widespread clergy abuse; how sidewalks form an overlooked part of Pittsburgh’s transportation network; a school security expert examines the effectiveness of current protections, and a panel weighs in on the harmful effects of active … [Read more...]
Experts: Minnesota’s strategy on school gun attacks wrong
In order to prevent school shootings, Minnesota lawmakers direct funds and policy towards school lockdown drills and security infrastructure. The Violence Project's co-founders Jillian Peterson and James Densley believe this approach is inadequate in actually preventing school shootings. Rather than lockdown drills, Peterson argues for putting … [Read more...]