Summary: A recent review identifies alarming trends in mass school shootings across the United States. Researchers report that, since 2000, more people have died in school shootings than in the entire 20th century, and they call for coordinated policy and school-based responses.
More people have died or been injured in mass school shootings in the US in the past 18 years than in the entire 20th century. A new review published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies examines the history of intentional mass school shootings in the United States and highlights disturbing patterns. Lead author Antonis Katsiyannis of Clemson University and colleagues analyzed incidents across the 20th and early 21st centuries and conclude that recent events, including the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, are not isolated tragedies but part of a growing public safety and public health problem that requires immediate attention.
The study applies a strict definition of “mass shooting,” identifying incidents in which four or more people were killed, excluding the perpetrator. While sporadic school shootings have appeared at various points in U.S. history, their frequency and lethality have increased over time. For example, a deadly event in 1940 involved a junior high principal who killed six adults, but comparable mass shootings were notably absent through the 1950s and 1960s. The researchers trace a clear rise beginning in 1979, with 12 deaths attributed to mass school shootings in the 1980s and 36 in the 1990s.
Across the entire 20th century, mass school shootings resulted in 55 deaths and 260 injuries, with most incidents concentrated in Western regions of the country. Of the 25 identified shooters during that century, the majority were white males acting alone. Only nine were documented as having diagnosed mental illnesses at the time of the attacks, and about 60% of the perpetrators were adolescents between 11 and 18 years old.
In the 21st century to date, the researchers identify 13 incidents involving lone shooters that resulted in 66 deaths and 81 injuries. As Katsiyannis and his coauthors note, “In less than 18 years, we have already seen more deaths related to school shootings than in the whole 20th century.” They emphasize that an overwhelming majority of 21st‑century shooters are adolescents, a pattern that raises urgent questions about young people’s access to firearms, the prevalence of untreated mental health challenges, and deficits in conflict resolution and social supports.
The review outlines several avenues for prevention and mitigation centered on policy, public health, and school-based interventions. Policy recommendations include expanded and consistent background checks for prospective gun owners and consideration of limits on access to high-capacity and military-style assault weapons. The authors stress that legislative changes must be paired with targeted funding and implementation strategies spanning federal, state, local, and private sectors.
At the school and community level, the review argues for stronger mental health services and proactive, tiered models of support that address students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Evidence-based approaches such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and multi-tiered systems of support can create safer, more supportive school climates by identifying at-risk students early, providing appropriate interventions, and coordinating care with families and community providers. School personnel, mental health professionals, and policymakers must also work to reduce stigma around mental health care and increase access to treatment for adolescents and adults alike.
The authors underscore that prevention is multifaceted: structural policy changes, investments in mental health care, and school-centered prevention efforts are all required to reduce the likelihood of future incidents. “Preventative efforts not only require policy and legislative action but increased and targeted funding across federal, state, local and private sectors,” Katsiyannis adds, highlighting the need for resources to implement evidence-based practices effectively.
Source: Springer.
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Original Research: “Historical Examination of United States Intentional Mass School Shootings in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Implications for Students, Schools, and Society” by Antonis Katsiyannis, Denise K. Whitford, and Robin Parks Ennis, Journal of Child and Family Studies, published April 19, 2018.
DOI: 10.1007/s10826-018-1096-2
Abstract
Historical Examination of United States Intentional Mass School Shootings in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Implications for Students, Schools, and Society
The deadliest U.S. school shooting to date, occurring on February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, serves as a stark reminder that school violence remains a present and persistent threat. Addressing school violence has proven difficult, but this review provides a historical perspective on intentional mass school shootings in the United States across two centuries. It discusses implications for students, schools, and society, and outlines policy and legislative options alongside school-based prevention and intervention frameworks such as multi-tiered models of support and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).