In recent times the threat of gun violence has been ever-increasing, causing school shootings to act as a prominent fear in the lives of both students and staff. As of September 19th, 50 school shootings have taken place this year, with the majority taking place in K-12 schools. The prevalence of this violence begs the question of both why these shootings occur and what we can do to stop them.
Despite California ranking #1 in gun law strength, it seems no safer than states lacking such strict regulations. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, California clocked in at a total of 25 shooting incidents in 2023, the same number as Ohio, which has a grade of D- on gun law safety ranks. This begs the question of how to prevent tragic mass murder school shootings effectively, but first, let’s take a deep dive into what makes an active shooter.
Most commonly, mass public shooters have been assumed to have mental health disorders. This association is true in most cases but is not an accurate predictor as to who will become a mass shooter. While almost all shooters have some sort of psychiatric disorder, those with mental health diagnoses aren’t increasingly likely to become this violent. A more accurate description of an active shooter is an isolated individual who has felt they have failed in many aspects of their life and has an obsession with violence. This distance from society, which is the individual’s experience, is thought to be a key contributor to these acts. This could be demonstrated in many forms, including, “withdrawal, suspension, or expulsion from school; failed relationships; and the diminution of face-to-face time in an Internet- and social media–driven world.” (Harold I. Schwartz Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law: The Mind of the Mass School Shooter) Factors such as “mental illness, trauma and loss, family member arrests and incarceration, neglect, physical and sexual abuse, bullying, school disciplinary actions, Internet chat groups, family discord, violent video games and social media, substance abuse, and financial difficulties” are all listed by the Secret Service as potential correlations. Such prominent feelings of isolation demonstrate the importance of social interaction and what role it can play in the prevention of shootings.
Throughout life, our brain changes through a process called neuroplasticity. The neural pathways in our brain that are more frequently used fire most often and become faster as our experiences and choices strengthen these paths. Such an idea can be applied to our engagement with those around us, such as face-to-face interactions with others. These social connections can not only help a potential shooter become more liked but teach their brain empathy and the value of social connectedness, preventing the issues of school shootings. In addition to this, mirror neurons, neurons that cause one to mimic the motor responses of another individual, can be a key contributor. Sharing the facial expressions of another person, like a smile, can go a long way in preventing the social agony of isolation.
In conclusion, the current methods of school shooting prevention are not very effective, and don’t address the key social element that can make or break a potential school shooter. The individualistic nature of society is a large contributor, showing how fostering a larger sense of community can prevent tragic deaths, such as those from mass school shootings.
