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Richardson KL D 2016.Pdf School&Shootings&and&Mental&Illness:&A&Moral&Panic& & Kristin&Lynn&Richardson& & & Dissertation&submitted&to&the&faculty&of&the&Virginia&Polytechnic&Institute&and&State&University&in& partial&fulfillment&of&the&requirements&for&the&degree&of& & Doctor&of&Philosophy& In& Sociology& & & & & & James&E.&Hawdon,&Committee&Chair& Michael&D.&Hughes,&Committee&Member& Donald&J.&Shoemaker,&Committee&Member& Laura&E.&Agnich,&Committee&Member& & & April&22,&2016& Blacksburg,&VA& & Keywords:&school&shooting,&mental&illness,&moral&panic,&folk&devil& & & & & & & & & & & & & School&Shootings&and&Mental&Illness:&A&Moral&Panic& & Kristin&Richardson& & ACADEMIC&ABSTRACT& & This&research&uses&moral&panic&theory&to&investigate&the&ways&in&which&print&media&coverage& influences&the&association&of&mental&illness&with&acts&of&mass&violence&in&schools.&&I&explore&the& relationship&between&the&rhetoric&of&moral&entrepreneurs&(such&as&victims’&friends&and&family& members,&law&enforcement&agencies,&criminal&justice&and&mental&health&professionals,&gun& rights&activists,&mayors,&members&of&Congress,&and&presidents),&the&construction&of&a&moral& panic,&and&the&identification&of&a&folk&devil&(a&person&or&population&deemed&responsible&for&the& evils&of&a&society;&to&be&feared&and&controlled&in&order&to&minimize&threat).&&Perpetrators&of& school&shootings&are&often&discussed&in&terms&of&their&consumption&of&violent&media&(such&as& movies,&music,&and&video&games),&their&access&to&firearms,&their&social&standing&among&their& peers&(socially&isolated,&ostracized,&or&bullied&at&school),&and&their&mental&health&status.&&I& hypothesize&that&mental&illness&has&become&a&common&frame&in&which&school&shooters&are& discussed&by&the&media,&despite&the&fact&that&mentally&ill&persons&are&less&likely&than&nonX disordered&individuals&to&commit&acts&of&violence.&&Therefore,&this&characterization&of&the& mentally&ill&as&violent&and&dangerous&is&disproportionate&to&the&actual&level&of&threat.&I&conduct& a&quantitative&frame&analysis&of&print&newspaper&articles&published&in&the&New$York$Times&and& one&local&newspaper&during&the&month&following&each&mass&school&shooting&between&1991&and& 2015,&coding&for&the&type&of&moral&entrepreneur&(grassroots,&interestXgroup,&or&elite),&the&folk& devil&identified&(violent&media,&firearms,&social&alienation,&and/or&mental&illness),&and&whether& the&folk&devil&was&being&affirmed&or&denied.&&Results&reveal&that&guns&are&affirmed&as&the&folk& devil&more&often&than&mental&illness,&but&are&also&denied&most&often;&whereas&mental&illness&is& affirmed&nearly&as&often&as&guns,&and&is&less&frequently&denied&as&the&folk&devil&–&leading&to&the& conclusion&that&mental&illness&is&the&most&frequently&accepted&folk&devil&associated&with&school& shootings.&&This&serves&as&a&cautionary&warning&against&the&conflation&of&mental&illness&with& mass&shootings,&because&it&intensifies&the&stigma&attached&to&mental&illness&–&a&known&deterrent& to&seeking&treatment.&&& & & iv School&Shootings&and&Mental&Illness:&A&Moral&Panic& & Kristin&Richardson& & PUBLIC&ABSTRACT& & This&study&focuses&on&the&ways&in&which&school&shootings&are&manipulated&by&the&media&to& increase&fear&and&incite&panic&among&the&general&population.&&Currently,&the&level&of&perceived& risk&(or,&fear)&that&a&school&shooting&will&occur&is&far&greater&than&the&actual&likelihood&that&it&will& happen.&&For&example,&the&chances&that&a&high&school&student&will&be&killed&in&an&activeXshooter& scenario&are&one&in&one&million.&&However,&over&half&of&all&parents&and&teenagers&worry&that& their&community&will&experience&a&mass&shooting&at&school.&&This&disparity&between&perceived& and&actual&threat&is&referred&to&as&a&moral&panic.&&I&utilize&print&newspaper&articles&to&investigate& the&intricacies&of&this&moral&panic.&&Who&is&creating&the&hysteria?&&Is&it&politicial&elites,&such&as& the&President&and&Vice&President?&&Or&is&it&interest&groups,&such&as&police&officers,&mental&health& professionals,&and&gun&rights&activists?&&Is&it&possible&that&this&moral&panic&is&being&stirred&by&the& general&public&in&a&grassroots&movement?&&&I&also&explore&who,&or&what,&is&to&blame&for&school& shootings,&using&four&categories&of&antagonists&(referred&to&as&“folk&devils”):&socially&alienated& youth&who&have&been&bullied&or&isolated&by&their&peers;&youth&who&consume&violent&media,& such&as&video&games,&movies,&and&music;&guns&and&gun&culture;&and&those&who&suffer&from& mental&illness.&&Results&indicate&that&the&moral&panic&about&school&shootings&is&largely&due&to& the&participation&of&grassroots&and&interest&groups.&&Guns&are&identified&as&the&root&cause&of& school&shootings&most&frequently,&but&there&is&an&ongoing&debate&about&the&legitimacy&of&the& threat&posed&by&guns&in&society.&&Meanwhile,&mental&illness&is&identifed&as&the&cause&of&school& shootings&almost&as&often&as&guns,&but&is&much&less&controversial.&&This&means&that&there&is&more& v agreement&about&mental&illness&as&a&threat&to&student&safety&while&at&school,&compared&to&othe& other&folk&devils.&&This&is&a&troubling&revelation,&considering&that&20&to&25&percent&of&Americans& have&a&psychological&disorder&and&a&vast&majority&of&them&are&not&violent&or&dangerous& individuals.&&Previous&research&has&found&that&stigma&is&a&significant&barrier&to&seeking& psychological&treatment;&therefore,&we&should&be&more&cautious&when&associating&mental& illness&with&acts&of&mass&violence.&&It&is&critical&that&we&take&steps&to&decrease&the&stigma&of& mental&illness,&rather&than&amplify&it&by&exaggerating&the&relationship&between&mental&illness& and&school&shootings.& & vi & DEDICATION& & This&dissertation&is&dedicated&to&the&victims,&friends,&families,&and&communities&affected& by&mass&shootings.&&May&your&loved&ones&rest&in&peace&and&may&your&lives&be&filled&with& reminders&of&the&kindness,&love,&and&support&offered&from&around&the&world.&&Specifically,&I& would&like&to&acknowledge&those&affected&by&the&tragedy&on&April&16,&2007.&&Over&the&past&four& years,&I&grown&to&love&Blacksburg&and&I&am&in&awe&of&the&stregnth,&compassion,&and&resiliency& demonstrated&by&the&community&every&day.&&I&am&truly&honored&to&be&a&Hokie.& & vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS& & There&are&many&people&who&deserve&to&be&recognized&for&their&support&and& encouragement&throughout&my&educational&career.&&First,&I&would&like&to&thank&my&mother,& Nancy&Richardson,&and&my&grandmother&(“Granny”),&Aileen&Lovelace,&for&always&having&faith&in& me&to&accomplish&the&ambitious&goals&I&set&for&myself.&&Their&unwavering&confidence&and& constant&reassurance&gave&me&the&inspiration&and&motivation&to&keep&going,&even&when&I&didn’t& think&I&could.&& I&would&also&like&to&thank&Dr.&James&Hawdon&for&being&an&outstanding&advisor.&&I&am& forever&grateful&to&have&him&as&a&role&model&and&mentor&over&the&past&four&years&and&for&always& delivering&advice&through&positive&guidance&and&constructive&feedback.&&The&remaining& committee&members,&Dr.&Michael&Hughes,&Dr.&Donald&Shoemaker,&and&Dr.&Laura&Agnich,&also& deserve&recognition&and&appreciation&for&providing&valuable&input&and&helpful&contributions& along&the&way.&&I&would&like&to&offer&a&special&thanks&to&Dr.&Agnich&for&sharing&her&dataset,&which& expedited&this&process.&&Moreover,&she&has&been&an&incredible&source&of&enthusiasm&and& renewed&energy&over&the&past&year,&for&which&I&am&eternally&grateful.&&& I&would&also&like&to&thank&my&colleague,&Jessica&Herling,&for&offering&assistance&by&coding& a&portion&of&my&articles&to&establish&interXrater&reliability.&&In&addition,&I&would&also&like&to& acknowledge&other&graduate&students&who&offered&friendship,&encouragement,&and&support& over&the&past&four&years:&Talitha&Rose,&Lori&Hall,&Shay&McLaughlin,&Rayanne&Streeter,&and&Hans& Momplasir.&&And&lastly,&I&would&like&to&thank&the&Department&of&Sociology&and&the&Center&for& Peace&Studies&and&Violence&Prevention&for&allowing&me&to&join&this&doctoral&program&and& providing&opportunities&for&professional&development&and&academic&success.&& & iv TABLE&OF&CONTENTS& Page& Chapter&I:&Introduction&...................................................................................................................&1& School&Shootings&in&the&Context&of&Overall&School&Violence&..............................................&2& Common&Themes&Concerning&the&Causes&of&School&Shootings&.........................................&6& Chapter&II:&Is&Mental&Illness&The&Root&Cause&Of&School&Shootings?&.............................................&12& Mental&Health&and&the&Criminal&Justice&System&...............................................................&13& Mental&Health&and&Violence&.............................................................................................&15& Mental&Health&and&Murder&..............................................................................................&17& Mental&Health&and&School&Shootings&...............................................................................&18& Chapter&III:&Moral&Panics&..............................................................................................................&21& Elements&of&a&Moral&Panic&................................................................................................&21& Moral&Entrepreneurs&........................................................................................................&25& Models&of&a&Moral&Panic:&Who&is&the&Moral&Entrepreneur?&............................................&26& Cultural&Trauma&and&Collective&Identity&...........................................................................&32&
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