Understanding Mass Shootings

This timely book presents a balanced and research-based exploration of mass shootings, enabling readers to navigate the array of terminology, statistics, and media stereotypes that accompany this often sensationalized phenomenon. By examining real-world cases and research, Emily A. Greene-Colozzi and Jaclyn Schildkraut provide practical insights into how society can work toward improved prevention and response.

The authors analyze key dimensions of the mass shooting phenomenon within and beyond the United States, including definitional debates, perpetrator motivations, prevention, response, and recovery. They evaluate differences and similarities among types of mass shootings and illustrate the importance of understanding these points of distinction for prevention purposes. Chapters explore who mass shooters are, the warning signs they exhibit before attacks, and the ways in which policymakers, practitioners and communities respond to these events. They also highlight the critical, yet understudied, area of recovery and resilience within communities that experience these tragedies. The book ends with a call to strengthen prevention systems and commit to practices and education that will honor victims and survivors and foster a safer future.

Understanding Mass Shootings is a vital resource for scholars and students of criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology and security studies. It is also highly relevant to policymakers and legislators across all disciplines seeking to understand the mass shooting problem and identify legislative and independent policy solutions.