James Fox
Professor Of Criminology, Law And Public Policy, Northeastern University
Key Findings
- Concern surrounding gun violence and mass shootings at school has grown since the 1990s.
Description
In the review, “The Menace of School Shootings in America,” Fox and his co-author examine the history of gun violence at schools in America. Concern surrounding gun violence and mass shootings at school has grown since the 1990s, a time period of many high-profile school shootings that also gained national recognition. Although the number of children killed at school remains relatively low (accounting for less than one percent of child deaths), the researchers examine the historical context, media coverage, and policy implications to understand the growth of American interest in the issue. The researchers note that Gallup poll data highlights spikes in parents’ worry for their children’s safety at school following mass shooting events. Schools have increased security, switched to zero tolerance policies and employed new tactics to decrease bullying to prevent potential shootings, but the researchers argue that these measures cannot prevent school shootings and often deter from the educational environment. The authors conclude that as the interest in gun violence and school safety has increased, more effort needs to be made to decrease the amount of mass shooting incidents and manage media portrayal of these events.