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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Social Work College of Social Work 2013 RAMPAGE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MEDIA AND SCHOLARLY ACCOUNTS OF PERPETRATION FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHENOMENON Philip Mongan University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Mongan, Philip, "RAMPAGE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MEDIA AND SCHOLARLY ACCOUNTS OF PERPETRATION FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHENOMENON" (2013). Theses and Dissertations--Social Work. 5. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/csw_etds/5 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Social Work at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Social Work by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained and attached hereto needed written permission statements(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine). I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless a preapproved embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s dissertation including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Philip Mongan, Student Dr. Melanie D. Otis, Major Professor Dr. Melanie D. Otis, Director of Graduate Studies RAMPAGE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MEDIA AND SCHOLARLY ACCOUNTS OF PERPETRATION FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHENOMENON _________________________________ DISSERTATION ___________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky By Philip C. Mongan Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Melanie D. Otis, Associate Professor of Social Work Lexington, Kentucky 2013 Copyright © Philip C. Mongan 2013 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION RAMPAGE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MEDIA AND SCHOLARLY ACCOUNTS OF PERPETRATION FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHENOMENON When school shootings occur in primary or secondary schools they draw a massive amount of media attention. Frequently, after the shooting stops, the media begins to prognosticate about the factors that led to the occurrence of the tragedy. However, there is a dearth of research examining those factors that are perpetuated by the media, as well as the factors that are most discussed in scholarly publications. Therefore, the aim of this research project was to explore the perpetration factors that have been perpetuated by the media, and compare those to the perpetration factors that are most frequently discussed by researchers. The study posed three research questions, which explored the factors that were most discussed, the differences between print news sources and journal articles in regard to the factors they discussed, and the possible changes of factors through time. The exploration of these research questions was based in social constructionist thought, as the theory provided a framework for exploring how the findings may impact subsequent prevention of the phenomenon. The study found that there were numerous factors discussed by the media and researchers, which broke down into school factors, cultural factors, individual factors, biological facts, and family factors. Through triangulation of available data the study also found that there were differences between the perpetration factors as they are discussed by the print news and scholars, as well as differences in discussion of factors through time. These differences indicate that prevention efforts may be hindered due to a faulty understanding of rampage school shootings, which is being perpetuated by the media. The findings also indicate several areas for future research to focus on, such as: exploration of other media formats, examining the constructs proposed by the research project, and exploring the methods that individuals involved with prevention determine the threat level of individuals who are viewed as posing a risk. KEYWORDS: school shooting, content analysis, social construction, school violence, rampage school shooting Philip C. Mongan ___________________________________ Student’s Signature April 24, 2013 ___________________________________ Date RAMPAGE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MEDIA AND SCHOLARLY ACCOUNTS OF PERPETRATION FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHENOMENON By Philip C. Mongan Melanie D. Otis , Ph.D. ________________________________________ Director of Dissertation David D. Royse , Ph.D. ________________________________________ Director of Doctoral Studies April 24, 2013 ________________________________________ Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have many people to thank for helping me get to this point. First and foremost, I have to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Melanie Otis. Her guidance, constructive criticism, and encouragement helped me through the dissertation writing process. I have had the pleasure of taking many of her courses throughout my time at the University of Kentucky, and my growth as a researcher and scholar would simply not have been possible without her. Also, I am greatly appreciative of the rest of my dissertation committee: Dr. Andy Frey, Dr. Carrie Oser, Dr. Patty Cook-Craig, and Dr. Alexander Vazsoni. Their questions and feedback helped me to create a product that would not have been possible without them. Their encouragement with my topic was energizing, especially when energy was in short supply. Also, I must thank Dr. David Royse and the rest of the social work department that accepted me into the Ph.D. program. They took a chance on accepting me into the program, and I am sure that there was at least some doubts that a person would commute weekly from Alabama for four years. However, 87,000 miles later I could not be more grateful for the opportunity and support that they provided to me. In addition to the professors that have helped me grow at the University of Kentucky, there are also others that have helped me get to this point. First, Dr. James Mastro from Bemidji State University for showing me what determination and hard work actually was. Also, I must thank Dr. Dada Maglajlic, who was the first professor to push me to seek a Ph.D. Even from the first years of my undergraduate program, Dr. Dada challenged me and pushed me to accomplish more. iii Last but certainly not least, I must also thank my cohort and my family. The other students that have been on this journey with me have provided me with the friendship that is often void when immersed in a doctoral program. They all welcomed me to the University of Kentucky, and helped lighten the mood when I was stressed. I must also thank my family. They provided support and encouragement for me when I needed it the most. The combination of working full time, the Ph.D. program, and commuting from Alabama to Kentucky on a weekly basis, essentially made me a ghost for the last few years. Without their understanding, the process would have been much more difficult. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................iii List of Tables ....................................................................................................................viii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................ix Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................................1 Conceptualization of Rampage School Shootings............................. .........2 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................12 Research Questions .......................................................................12 Significance ...............................................................................................14 Methods .....................................................................................................14 Implications of Study…………………………………………………….16 Conclusion .................................................................................................18 Chapter Two: Literature Review ....................................................................................19

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