A potential predictor of mass shootings is suicidality. Dr. Jillian Peterson shared that her latest analysis showed that 80 percent of the perpetrators were suicidal before the shooting, which she says it is key to understanding their actions. “In every case, this was intended to be their final act. They are murders, but they are murder-suicides. … [Read more...]
How suicide prevention may help stop mass killers before they start shooting
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...]
What will prevent white nationalist attacks?
The Violence Project's Jillian Peterson and James Densley were quoted in Yahoo News 360's article on mass violence prevention. “Proactive violence prevention starts with schools, colleges, churches and employers initiating conversations about mental health and establishing systems for identifying individuals in crisis, reporting concerns and … [Read more...]
Four Things Most Mass Shooters Have in Common
The Trump Administration is funding studies of mass shooters in the United States. Right now, researchers are combing through a trove of social media and historical data to find similarities among these individuals. One of the researchers, James Densley from The Violence Project, joins Cheddar Business to explain his findings. Watch … [Read more...]
Mental Illness isn’t main driver of mass shootings, experts say
Dr. Jillian Peterson shares The Violence Project’s research on mass shootings and the four key commonalities that perpetrators have: (1) early childhood trauma and exposure to violence at a young age; (2) an identifiable grievance or crisis point; (3) validation for their beliefs, having studied past shootings to find inspiration; and (4) the means … [Read more...]