Why kids kill : inside the minds of school shooters
In the horrific aftermath of school shootings, distraught communities struggle to make sense of these seemingly senseless acts. Yet despite massive media coverage very little is known about what the young perpetrators felt or how they rationalized their acts. Peer harassment and social ostracism have been cast as triggers for the violence, but psychologist Dr. Pater Langman argues that the problems are larger and reside deep within the psyches of the shooters. This book is an analysis of the psychological causes of school shootings. Going beyond surface explanations, Langman shows how three distinct types of youths become school shooters: kids who are narcissistic and sadistic, kids who have hallucinations and delusions, and kids who have been abused and traumatized. He reveals why certain teens think of violence as a stepping-stone to status and power and carry out their murder sprees in schools. Eschewing simplistic labels, Langman builds complex psychological profiles of the perpetrators of major shootings--from the Arkansas shooting that inspired subsequent rampage attacks, to Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine, to Seung Hui Cho and the massacre at Virginia Tech. Langman bases his analysis on nearly 20 years of therapeutic practice with troubled youth and offers insight into why certain teens exhibit the potential to kill. He identifies early signs of possible violence and suggests preventive measures that educators and parents can take to protect their communities
Print Book, English, 2009
1st ed
Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2009