DOCSLIB.ORG

Assessing Educators' School Safety and Security Preparedness at A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Assessing Educators' School Safety and Security Preparedness at A Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Fischler College of Education: Theses and Abraham S. Fischler College of Education Dissertations 1-1-2016 Assessing Educators’ School Safety and Security Preparedness at a New Jersey K-12 Nonpublic School Ronald P. Rinaldi Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern University Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU Abraham S. Fischler College of Education, please click here. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd Part of the Education Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Ronald P. Rinaldi. 2016. Assessing Educators’ School Safety and Security Preparedness at a New Jersey K-12 Nonpublic School. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. (90) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/90. This Dissertation is brought to you by the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fischler College of Education: Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Assessing Educators’ School Safety and Security Preparedness at a New Jersey K-12 Nonpublic School by Ronald P. Rinaldi An Applied Dissertation Submitted to the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Nova Southeastern University 2016 Approval Page This applied dissertation was submitted by Ronald P. Rinaldi under the direction of the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Nova Southeastern University. David Weintraub, EdD Committee Chair Jennifer Quiñones Nottingham, EdD Committee Member Lynne Schrum, PhD Dean ii Statement of Original Work I declare the following: I have read the Code of Student Conduct and Academic Responsibility as described in the Student Handbook of Nova Southeastern University. This applied dissertation represents my original work, except where I have acknowledged the ideas, words, or material of other authors. Where another author’s ideas have been presented in this applied dissertation, I have acknowledged the author’s ideas by citing them in the required style. Where another author’s words have been presented in this applied dissertation, I have acknowledged the author’s words by using appropriate quotation devices and citations in the required style. I have obtained permission from the author or publisher—in accordance with the required guidelines—to include any copyrighted material (e.g., tables, figures, survey instruments, large portions of text) in this applied dissertation manuscript. Ronald P. Rinaldi Name November , 2016 Date iii Acknowledgments First and foremost, I want to dedicate this dissertation to my mother and father, Ann and Ronald, for their intense love, unwavering support, and continued endless devotion to parenting since the day I was born. To my mother, a successful writer and author who always put our family first, I thank you for teaching me family is most important. To my father, whose strong work ethic and integrity I try to emulate every day, thanks for being my role model. To my wife, Lori, thank you for taking on more responsibilities during this time consuming undertaking. To my children, Ronnie, James, and Nicole; I love you very much and thank you for supporting me as I spent countless hours away from you. Ronnie, as you pursue your own terminal degree, I am extremely proud of your efforts and that soon you will be the “real” doctor in the family. James and Nicole, I am sorry for not getting to play as much as you would have liked these past years: I promise to make this up to you. I need to thank several people whose time in my life has influenced me tremendously. First, two former professors, Dr. Marcus F. Cunliffe and Dr. Don Higginbotham–although passed on–for their dedication to teaching and research that lives within me. Next, my boss, Marcie Fiorentino, for giving me the opportunity and support to recreate myself at a crucial juncture in my life: I will be eternally grateful. I also thank Dr. William Austin and Dr. Thomas Gambino, fellow Nova Southeastern alumni, for their expertise and assistance. Last, but certainly not least, I must gratefully thank my academic chairs. Dr. Eugene Costa, for his intense professional dedication to assisting and guiding me, and Dr. David Weintraub, for his expertise and guidance while seeing me through to the long awaited end. Their importance in this endeavor was crucial and invaluable. iv Abstract Assessing Educators’ School Safety and Security Preparedness at a New Jersey K-12 Nonpublic School. Ronald P. Rinaldi, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Key words: school safety and security, school emergency management plans, school shootings, targeted school violence, first responder training School shootings and emergencies have created the need for educators to be proficient in emergency response procedures; yet they do not always receive the requisite training. The lack of an established delineated training program for New Jersey, kindergarten to Grade 12 institutions has created a situation where educator preparedness varies immensely at schools. Numerous national events of targeted school violence have exemplified the need for quick and proper responses by educators to mitigate the tragic results until first responders arrive. The purpose and goal of this study was to assess educators’ perceptions and to determine the best practices in creating a comprehensive safety and security training program to prepare educators for school crises in order to offer a model for stakeholders to follow or gain ideas to improve their institution’s specific school safety and security emergency plans. Guided by the U.S. Department of Education’s best practices in developing high-quality school safety plans, this study analyzed the perceptions of 60 educators in one New Jersey kindergarten to Grade 12 school on the effectiveness of training. A mixed-methods approach, using a survey questionnaire and interviews, measured changes in the perceptions of these educators after the 15-week program. Data results included a revelation of the implementation of a comprehensive school safety and security plan with related training program resulted in a statistically significant increase in the perceptions of educators’ knowledge and abilities to respond effectively to school targeted violence and emergencies. These findings support the concept that best practices in the field of school safety and security management include appropriate and comprehensive school safety and security plans and training for educators to combat and mitigate school targeted violence and emergent events. v Table of Contents Page Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................1 The Topic .................................................................................................................5 Research Problem ....................................................................................................6 Background and Justification ...................................................................................8 Deficiencies in the Evidence ..................................................................................11 Audience ................................................................................................................15 Definition of Terms................................................................................................17 Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................18 Summary ................................................................................................................19 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................21 Overview ................................................................................................................21 History of the Phenomenon ...................................................................................22 Black Swan Event ..................................................................................................25 Theories on Active Shooter Phenomenon..............................................................26 Threat Assessment .................................................................................................32 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................35 Educators’ Safety Responsibilities ........................................................................37 Emergency Management Guides ...........................................................................42 Crisis Management Teams .....................................................................................47 Emergency Training for Educators ........................................................................48
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Pursuit of Hegemony
    THE PURSUIT OF HEGEMONY School Shootings as Cultural Scripts The Pursuit of Hegemony School Shootings as Cultural Scripts BY Meriem Rebbani-Gosselin A Thesis In The Department of Sociology and Anthropology Submitted in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Social & Cultural Anthropology) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada August 2014 © 2014 Meriem Rebbani-Gosselin i CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Meriem Rebbani-Gosselin Entitled: The Pursuit of Hegemony - School Shootings as Cultural Scripts and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Social & Cultural Anthropology) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: ____________________________ Chair Dr. Greg Nielsen ____________________________ Examiner Dr. Hooma Hoodfar ____________________________ Examiner Dr. Anthony Synnott ____________________________ Supervisor Dr. Marc Lafrance Approved by ________________________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director __________ 2011 _______________________________________________ Dean of Faculty ii ABSTRACT The Pursuit of Hegemony - School Shootings as Cultural Scripts Meriem Rebbani-Gosselin As attested by the amount of related media coverage, school shootings seem have become an important public concern in the last decade. While this phenomenon has enjoyed a wide coverage in the media, there is only a limited amount of scholarly research available on the subject. Furthermore, research on Canadian school shootings is practically inexistent. Focusing on the Dawson school shooting as a case study, this thesis hypothesizes that the repetitive occurrences of school shootings reveal a deeper social malaise regarding masculinity in North America.
    [Show full text]
  • Alienation and Social Connection in the Personal Narratives of School Shooters
    I FEEL REJECTED: ALIENATION AND SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Communication, Culture and Technology By Mihika Sapru, B.A. Washington, DC April 22, 2019 Copyright 2019 by Mihika Sapru All Rights Reserved ii I FEEL REJECTED: ALIENATION AND SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS Mihika Sapru, B.A. Thesis Advisor: Leticia Bode, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The media have long perpetuated the stereotype of school shooters as disaffected loners. This has become the default narrative following an attack, even in the absence of supporting evidence. Disaffection and isolation are manifestations of social alienation–a psychosocial phenomenon. The media discourse and academic literature both suggest that social alienation in the lives of these gunmen is worthy of further exploration. This paper asks: What types of social alienation do school shooters express in their own words? Do they also express social connection, and if so, how? And finally, are there specific examples of thematic patterns and vocabulary that are used when communicating social alienation? These questions are resolved through a three-part qualitative content analysis of the personal narratives of nineteen rampage school shooters. The first part of the analysis applies a model of alienation developed by social psychologist Melvin Seeman to the corpus. This model breaks alienation into six elements: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, self-estrangement, cultural estrangement, and social isolation. The corpus is also analyzed for references to social connection in the second part of the analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • Cyberbullying and Social Media Responsibility in Schools Michelle Leviner University of South Carolina - Columbia
    University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 2018 Cyberbullying And Social Media Responsibility In Schools Michelle Leviner University of South Carolina - Columbia Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Recommended Citation Leviner, M.(2018). Cyberbullying And Social Media Responsibility In Schools. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/5025 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CYBERBULLYING AND SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITY IN SCHOOLS by Michelle Leviner Bachelor of Arts Elon University, 1996 Master of Arts Charleston Southern University, 2005 ___________________________________________________ Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction College of Education University of South Carolina 2018 Accepted by: Toby Jenkins-Henry, Major Professor Henry Tran, Committee Member Wayland Huggins, Committee Member Todd Lilly, Committee Member Cheryl L. Addy, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School © Copyright by Michelle Leviner, 2018 All Rights Reserved. ii ABSTRACT A rapidly growing and destructive phenomenon among today’s adolescent students is cyberbullying, a malicious use of the easy and widespread accessibility of electronic devices and the internet. Whereas traditional bullying typically involves and is known to only a few people, cyberbullying allows perpetrators to spread cruel information to a large audience in a short amount of time, typically via social media. Cyberbullying has negative results for adolescents at school, even if it occurs outside of school hours.
    [Show full text]
  • Second Level Agenda Setting in CNN News Coverage of The
    2 Abstract Through discourse analysis, this article seeks to compare the cable news coverage of the Columbine High School school shooting and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School school shooting using second-level agenda setting theory, with CNN broadcast transcripts as the unit of analysis. The research showed that the shooter was the dominant shaping force in the creation of the agenda for cable news coverage in both school shooting events. KEYWORDS: AGENDA SETTING MASS SHOOTINGS SCHOOL SHOOTINGS CABLE NEWS ELECTRONIC NEWS 3 Media and Mass Shootings: Second Level Agenda Setting in CNN News Coverage of the Columbine and Parkland Mass Shootings School shootings are at the forefront of social issues in today’s political climate, sparking discussions about gun safety and legislation across the country. According to a study conducted by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School (2020), 2018 accounted for the highest number of active school shooter incidents since the start of their data tracking in 1970. In 2018, there were 11 incidents reported, resulting in 83 people injured or killed. The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, contributed to the record breaking numbers of 2018, taking the lives of 14 students, a teacher, an athletic director, and a football coach (Levenson & Sterling, 2018). With the increasing number of school shootings, it is important to analyze the information that cable news media outlets select to disseminate to the American public. Cable news media is an important and influential source of news for the U.S. population, influencing the way political, social, and economic events are perceived and interpreted.
    [Show full text]
  • The Report of Governor Bill Owens'
    The Report of Governor Bill Owens’ COLUMBINE REVIEW COMMISSION Hon. William H. Erickson, Chairman MAY 2001 STATE OF COLORADO Bill Owens May 2001 Governor Dear Fellow Coloradan, On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High School southwest of Denver murdered 12 fellow students and one teacher in the worst school shooting in U.S. history. The Columbine tragedy forever changed the way Americans think about the potential for violence in our schools. No one can erase the horror of that day, or restore the losses suffered by the victims and their families. Yet only by learning from Columbine can we hope to prevent similar tragedies in the future. On January 28, 2000, I signed an executive order creating the Columbine Review Commission, to conduct an inde- pendent review of the tragedy that occurred on April 20, 1999. I appointed the distinguished William H. Erickson, former Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, to chair the commission. The commission’s volunteer members spent over a year conducting public hearings and examining thousands of pages of documents before compiling their findings and recommendations. The full report follows. The report is also posted on the state’s website at: http://www.state.co.us. To the members of the commission I extend a heartfelt thanks for the many hours devoted to this difficult task. They have provided a great public service, and we are deeply grateful. Sincerely, Bill Owens Governor of Colorado T HE G OVERNOR’ S C OLUMBINE R EVIEW C OMMISSION Commission members pictured here are: 3rd row: Stephen D.
    [Show full text]
  • Doran, Selina Evelyn Margaret (2014) News Media Constructions and Policy Implications of School Shootings in the United States
    Doran, Selina Evelyn Margaret (2014) News media constructions and policy implications of school shootings in the United States. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5298/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] 1 News Media Constructions and Policy Implications of School Shootings in the United States. Selina Evelyn Margaret Doran Master of Research (Social Research) BA Hons. (Journalism and Creative Writing and Sociology) Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Social and Political Sciences College of Social Sciences University of Glasgow April 2014 2 Abstract This thesis focuses on ‘school shootings’ in the United States. Examined here are the news media constructions and public reactions to such incidents, as they pertain to scholarly conceptualisations of fear, moral panics and vulnerability; as well policy responses relating to emergency management in educational institutions and gun-related legislative proposals and actions. Current literature in the field defines ‘school shootings’ as a particular type of ‘spree’ or ‘mass’ killing, involving the murder or attempted murder of students and staff at an education institution.
    [Show full text]
  • The Columbine Legacy Hosted at Rampage Shootings As Political Acts Ralph W
    American Behavioral Scientist Volume 52 Number 9 May 2009 1309-1326 © 2009 SAGE Publications 10.1177/0002764209332548 http://abs.sagepub.com The Columbine Legacy hosted at Rampage Shootings as Political Acts http://online.sagepub.com Ralph W. Larkin John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the City University of New York The purpose of this article is to explore how the Columbine shootings on April 20, 1999, influenced subsequent school rampage shootings. First, school rampage shoot- ings are defined to distinguish them from other forms of school violence. Second, post-Columbine shootings and thwarted shootings are examined to determine how they were influenced by Columbine. Unlike prior rampage shooters, Harris and Klebold committed their rampage shooting as an overtly political act in the name of oppressed students victimized by their peers. Numerous post-Columbine rampage shooters referred directly to Columbine as their inspiration; others attempted to supersede the Columbine shootings in body count. In the wake of Columbine, conspiracies to blow up schools and kill their inhabitants by outcast students were uncovered by authorities. School rampage shootings, most of which referred back to Columbine as their inspira- tion, expanded beyond North America to Europe, Australia, and Argentina; they increased on college campuses and spread to nonschool venues. The Columbine shoot- ings redefined such acts not merely as revenge but as a means of protest of bullying, intimidation, social isolation, and public rituals of humiliation. Keywords: Columbine; rampage shootings; school violence; bullying n the 1980s and 1990s, Americans witnessed a new and disturbing social phenom- Ienon: school rampage shootings executed by disturbed and alienated present or former male students who had decided to settle grudges against peers, teachers, or administrators with bullets and sometimes bombs.
    [Show full text]
  • SOCIAL SOLIDARITY and FEAR of CRIME Community and Individual Approaches in Responses to Mass Violence After School Shootings
    SOCIAL SOLIDARITY AND FEAR OF CRIME Community and Individual Approaches in Responses to Mass Violence After School Shootings Miika Vuori TURUN YLIOPISTON JULKAISUJA – ANNALES UNIVERSITATIS TURKUENSIS Sarja - ser. B osa - tom. 397 | Humaniora | Turku 2015 University of Turku Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Social Research Economic Sociology The Doctoral Programme of Social and Behavioural Sciences Supervised by Professor Pekka Räsänen Associate Professor Atte Oksanen Department of Social Research School of Social Sciences and Humanities University of Turku University of Tampere Finland Finland Reviewed by Professor John Ryan Associate Professor Bryan Lee Miller Department of Sociology Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology Virginia Tech Georgia Southern University USA USA Opponent Associate Professor Bryan Lee Miller Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology Georgia Southern University USA The originality of this thesis has been checked in accordance with the University of Turku quality assurance system using the Turnitin OriginalityCheck service. ISBN 978-951-29-5981-5 (PRINT) ISBN 978-951-29-5982-2 (PDF) ISSN 0082-6987 Painosalama Oy - Turku, Finland 2015 SOCIAL SOLIDARITY AND FEAR OF CRIME – COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL APPROACHES IN RESPONSES TO MASS VIOLENCE AFTER SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine community and individual approaches in responses to mass violence after the school shooting incidents in Jokela (November 2007) and Kauhajoki (September 2008), Finland. In considering the community approach, responses to any shocking criminal event may have integrative, as well as disintegrative effects, within the neighborhood. The integration perspective argues that a heinous criminal event within one’s community is a matter of offence to collectively held feelings and beliefs, and increases perceived solidarity; whereas the disintegration perspective suggests that a criminal event weakens the social fabric of community life by increasing fear of crime and mistrust among locals.
    [Show full text]
  • School Shooting
    Sociétés et jeunesses en difficulté Revue pluridisciplinaire de recherche N°17 | Automne 2016 Varia Fusillades scolaires : construction d’une catégorie et savoirs explicatifs d’une forme de violence juvénile School shootings: Building an explanatory category and knowledge of a form of youth violence Constitución de una categoría y conocimientos explicativos de una forma de violencia juvenil Nathalie Paton Édition électronique URL : http://journals.openedition.org/sejed/8265 ISSN : 1953-8375 Éditeur École nationale de la protection judiciaire de la jeunesse Référence électronique Nathalie Paton, « Fusillades scolaires : construction d’une catégorie et savoirs explicatifs d’une forme de violence juvénile », Sociétés et jeunesses en difficulté [En ligne], N°17 | Automne 2016, mis en ligne le 16 décembre 2016, consulté le 19 avril 2019. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/sejed/8265 Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 19 avril 2019. Sociétés et jeunesses en difficulté est mis à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International. Fusillades scolaires : construction d’une catégorie et savoirs explicatifs d’... 1 Fusillades scolaires : construction d’une catégorie et savoirs explicatifs d’une forme de violence juvénile School shootings: Building an explanatory category and knowledge of a form of youth violence Constitución de una categoría y conocimientos explicativos de una forma de violencia juvenil Nathalie Paton Introduction 1 Le 12 décembre 2012 se déroule l’un des épisodes les plus sanglants de l’histoire des établissements scolaires étasuniens à Newtown dans l’État du Connecticut : un adolescent âgé de dix-sept ans prend en otage une école primaire et tue vingt-huit personnes, dont principalement des enfants de six à sept ans, avant de se donner la mort.
    [Show full text]
  • Violent Media, Guns, and Mental Illness: the Three Ring Circus of Causal Factors for School Massacres, As Related in Media Discourse
    Fast Capitalism ISSN 1930-014X Volume 10 • Issue 1 • 2013 doi:10.32855/fcapital.201301.015 Violent Media, Guns, and Mental Illness: The Three Ring Circus of Causal Factors for School Massacres, as Related in Media Discourse Jaclyn Schildkraut, Glenn W. Muschert “When something like this happens, everybody says it’s an epidemic, and that’s just not true” (Amanda Nickerson, in Glaberson, 2012). While this reaction to the December 14, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School[1] is one of the more realistic responses to the event, it also is rather uncharacteristic. When news of a school shooting breaks, most people struggle to come to terms with the tragedy and begin their quest for answers to a number of questions. One of the most elusive answers is to the question of “why” the event has happened (Schildkraut, 2012a). In an effort to answer this question, two groups have emerged as key narrators of the school shootings story. First, the mass media are responsible for breaking the news and providing audiences with information on the shooters, the victims, and the events. Once the audience receives this information, they then turn to the second group – politicians – to report on the response and “official reaction.” In addition to seeking answers to why these events happen, members of society also rely on their elected representatives and political figures to help put the event in perspective, and to look for ways to prevent the next tragedy. Both of these key narrators are filtered through mass media, as journalists themselves frame and comment upon the tragedies, and as politicians reach their constituents and broader audiences via media reportage.
    [Show full text]
  • Characteristics of Fame-Seeking Individuals Who Completed Or Attempted Mass Murder in the United States Angelica Wills Walden University
    Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 Characteristics of Fame-Seeking Individuals Who Completed or Attempted Mass Murder in the United States Angelica Wills Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Personality and Social Contexts Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Angelica Wills has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Eric Hickey, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Christopher Bass, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. John Schmidt, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2019 Abstract Characteristics of Fame-Seeking Individuals Who Completed or Attempted Mass Murder in the United States by Angelica Wills MS, Walden University, 2016 BA, Stockton University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University June 2019 Abstract Previous researchers have found mass murderers characterized as loners, victims of bullying, goths, and individuals who had a psychotic break. A gap in the literature that remained concerned the motive and mindset of mass murderers before their attack, particularly those who seek fame, and why they are motivated by such violent intentions.
    [Show full text]
  • Dark Fandoms: an Introduction and Case Study
    Deviant Behavior ISSN: 0163-9625 (Print) 1521-0456 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/udbh20 Dark Fandoms: An Introduction and Case Study Ryan Broll To cite this article: Ryan Broll (2020) Dark Fandoms: An Introduction and Case Study, Deviant Behavior, 41:6, 792-804, DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2019.1596453 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2019.1596453 Published online: 26 Mar 2019. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 610 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=udbh20 DEVIANT BEHAVIOR 2020, VOL. 41, NO. 6, 792–804 https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2019.1596453 Dark Fandoms: An Introduction and Case Study Ryan Broll University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario Canada ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY There is a deep and persistent cultural fascination with the macabre – public Received 15 June 2018 executions, true crime books, slasher films, and sites of violence attract large Accepted 2 October 2018 audiences. Although serial and mass murderers increasingly achieve fame, little attention has focused on their fans. Thus, this paper introduces the concept of dark fandoms, or communities of fans of those who have perpetrated heinous acts, and draws attention to Columbiners as one example of a dark fandom. An analysis of more than 700 threaded discussion posts from an online Reddit community reveals that the Columbiner dark fandom discussed their favorite characters from the shooting, proposed fan theories about the incident, and considered the Columbine shooting’s legacy. The implications of these findings for studies of other dark fandoms is discussed.
    [Show full text]