If you look at mass shootings over time, two things are alarmingly clear: The attacks are becoming far more frequent and they are getting deadlier. Our society must rewrite the violence script to stop the contagion. Read More Source: Los Angeles Times Authors: James Densley and Jillian Peterson … [Read more...]
We analyzed 53 years of mass shooting data. Attacks aren’t just increasing, they’re getting deadlier
Have police really thwarted more mass shootings since El Paso and Dayton, or are we just paying closer attention?
With mass shootings becoming more prevalent in the mainstream media, it is important to look into these threats and take them seriously. “In 80% of the mass shooting cases that we studied the person leaked their plans ahead of time and made a specific threat,” Jillian Peterson, an assistant professor of criminology and Criminal Justice at Hamline … [Read more...]
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...]
Mass shootings: Experts say violence is contagious, and 24/7 news cycle doesn’t help
"In a nation that has sometimes become numb to mass shootings, people are shaken. Weekend massacres in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, have many looking for ways to stop the carnage, whether through stricter gun control laws, better mental health services or shutting down certain social media platforms. As research suggests that violence, … [Read more...]
How mass shootings became our norm
The image of students running from Columbine High School was seared into the mind of those old enough to understand it. That image, of people running from a shooter, would repeat over and over again all across America. “I think we are at the point where we as a society are sick of it and people are really fed up,” Hamline Professor Jillian … [Read more...]