School Shootings and Clinical Management: Directions Toward Prevention

Abstract

With the reported incidence of school shootings during the first two decades of the twenty-first century, this chapter focuses on the range, types, and the results of school shootings in the United States. The impact of these forms of violence provides a follow-up to the initial chapter in the first edition of School Violence and Primary Prevention (2008). The intent of this chapter is to provide information that may be useful for prevention to educational, medical, and healthcare professionals; law enforcement personnel; and school boards that oversee administratively and provide care and services to school-aged children. Examined in this chapter are theoretical considerations involving escape theory, the risk and protective factors for school violence, analyses of case studies, and discussion of school shootings with fatal injuries involving others. Identifying at-risk and high-risk students is essential as a part of prevention of school violence. The clinical issues in understanding children who are at risk for committing lethal acts of violence in the school setting are also examined. This chapter offers suggestions and recommendations, including recommendations provided by the National School Safety Center for school personnel, and steps to be taken in creating a safe school environment.