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We summarize current data and understanding about the prevalence of gun violence at schools and risk of rampage school shootings. Following that comes a discussion of gun availability among youth and strategies and practices in the United States and abroad that have been implemented to limit access to firearms for minors. Next, we review the current evidence for arming school teachers, a strategy that could also increase the number of firearms in schools. We then focus on three specific strategies that schools have implemented to reduce school shootings and improve school safety: (a) addressing the role of mental health in school shootings and violence perpetration; (b) implementing multidisciplinary threat assessment protocols; and (c) target hardening and utilizing school resource officers. Based on available evidence, a public health approach to addressing firearm violence in schools is the most effective way to prevent school shootings, even if these effects are indirect through improvements in student social competence and positive school climate. Finally, we offer some recommendations for future practice, policy and research.

Although representing a rather small percentage of gun deaths in the United States, mass shootings receive a disproportionate share of crime news coverage, with the fears of countless Americans at a level well above the actual risk. This article attempts to clarify some of the wide-ranging confusion regarding what exactly is a mass shooting, how often they occur, and whether they have been on the rise over the past several years. After discussion of some methodological issues associated with measuring prevalence, trends exhibited in several reliable data sources on mass shooting are presented. The article concludes with a brief discussion of contagion and whether it is reasonable to expect that the recent spike in mass shootings will persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on mass public shootings has increased in recent years as comprehensive datasets have become more available. As a result, much is known about the contextual and offender related characteristics of such attacks. However, less research has been conducted on attacks that were planned but ultimately did not occur. Understanding how mass public shootings may be thwarted or averted is important for both policy and theoretical reasons. In this paper, we describe a new dataset of averted mass public shooting threats (N = 194) from 2000–2019 and compare them to mass public shootings that were completed during this time (N = 97). Several noteworthy findings emerged, including that nearly half of the averted cases were reported by a friend or acquaintance, most targeted a specific location or group, and averted cases were more likely to involve school targets and co-offenders. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notwithstanding the historical significance of the Columbine shooting, recent attention has shifted to college campuses following high-profile massacres at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. In this article, the authors compile and discuss the recommendations most often put forth by task force reports published in the wake of these episodes. Although some proposals can increase the security and well-being of the campus community, others may be inappropriate and even carry unacceptable negative consequences. The problem rests partly in the implicit assumption that effective strategies for secondary schools will seamlessly translate to a college environment. However, campus shootings are not just Columbine graduated to higher education, as differences in assailant motivation and setting warrant divergent strategies for prevention and response. Keywords: campus violence; campus security; active shooters