School shootings in the United States have occurred at K–12 public and private schools, as well as at colleges and universities, and on school buses.
In a study from Columbia University and elsewhere, scientists examined 82 mass murders that occurred at least partially in academic settings throughout the world.
They found that most mass murderers and mass shooters did not have severe mental illness.
The study also found that most mass murderers used firearms, and semi- or fully-automatic firearms most commonly.
Among incidents of mass school murder not involving firearms, stabbing was the most common method.
The research is largest analysis ever conducted on mass school shootings.
In the study, the team analyzed data from the Columbia Mass Murder Database (CMMD), developed by the COPE team to gain much-needed insight into the relationship between serious mental illness and mass shootings.
Creating the CMMD involved an extensive review of 14,785 murders publicly described in English in print or online, occurring worldwide between 1900 and 2019.
The researchers isolated cases of mass murder perpetrated at least in part at schools, colleges, and universities and categorized them by location (within or outside of the US), and whether firearms were used.
Of the 82 incidents of mass murder involving academic settings, the team found
Nearly half (47.6%) and most involving firearms (63.2%) were U.S.-based;
Consistent with previous reports, perpetrators of mass shootings involving academic settings are primarily Caucasian (66.7%) and male (100%);
Severe mental illness (e.g., psychosis) was absent in the majority of perpetrators; when present, psychotic symptoms are more associated with mass murders in academic settings involving means other than firearms; and
About half (45.6%) of mass school shootings ended with the perpetrator’s suicide.
The team says that identifying mental illness as a primary cause of violence is misleading.
The findings strongly suggest that focusing on mental illness, particularly psychotic illness, when talking about mass school shootings risks is missing other factors that contribute to the vast majority of cases, as well as exacerbating the already widespread stigma surrounding severe mental illness.
The researchers hope that the findings will help lawmakers and law enforcement officials better understand the phenomenon of mass school shootings, as well as how mass school shootings differ from other forms of mass murder.
If you care about mental health, please read studies that commonly used mental drugs may harm cognitive functions, and 6 daily habits to reduce stress & anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies about 8 things that can destroy your mental health, and results showing scientists find a core feature of depression.
The study was conducted by Ragy R. Girgis et al and published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
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