The Wiley Handbook of the Psychology of Mass Shootings gathers together the latest insights from research and practice in one timely and much-needed reference work.

• The first full-length academic examination of mass shootings from a psychological perspective


• Contains 21 essays written by a global team of experts


• Covers a broad range of topics, including the psychology of perpetrators, the role of the media, psychological considerations and clinical interventions for affected individuals, prevention, ethical issues, and areas for future research


• Provides best practices for clinicians, academics, and policymakers dealing with these increasingly prevalent incidents of violence

Laura C. Wilson is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of Mary Washington, USA. Her main area of research and clinical expertise is post-trauma functioning, particularly in survivors of mass trauma such as mass shootings, terrorism, or combat or sexual violence. She also has expertise in predictors of violence and aggression, including psychophysiological and personality factors. She has published widely in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including Violence and Victims, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, and Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.

Notes on Contributors vii

Preface xv

Part I: Background on Mass Shootings 1

1 Challenges to the Empirical Investigation of Mass Shootings 3
Andrew J. Smith and Michael Hughes

2 The Patterns and Prevalence of Mass Public Shootings in the United States, 1915-2013 20
Grant Duwe

3 Explaining Mass Shootings: Types, Patterns, and Theories 36
James Alan Fox and Jack Levin

Part II: The Psychology of Perpetrators 57

4 The Development of Rampage Shooters: Myths and Uncertainty in the Search for Causes 59
Benjamin Winegard and Christopher J. Ferguson

5 Biosocial Perspective of Proactive Aggression: Applications to Perpetrators of Mass Shootings 77
Jonathan Waldron and Angela Scarpa

6 The Challenge of Predicting Dangerousness 96
Sara Chiara Haden

Part III: The Role of Media in the Aftermath of Mass Shootings 115

7 The Influence of Media on Public Attitudes 117
Jaclyn Schildkraut and H. Jaymi Elsass

8 Social Media and News Coverage as Vicarious Exposure 136
Carolyn R. Fallahi

9 The Role of Technology in Expressions of Grief 153
Kenneth A. Lachlan

10 The Impact of Journalism on Grieving Communities 170
Henna Haravuori, Noora Berg, and Mauri Marttunen

Part IV: Psychological Considerations for Impacted Individuals 189

11 Mental Health Outcomes Following Direct Exposure 191
Laura C. Wilson

12 Psychosocial Functioning Within Shooting?]Affected Communities: Individual?] and Community?]Level Factors 210
Heather Littleton, Julia C. Dodd, and Kelly Rudolph

13 Postdisaster Psychopathology Among Rescue Workers Responding to Multiple?]Shooting Incidents 229
Geoff J. May and Carol S. North

14 Distress Among Journalists Working the Incidents 247
Klas Backholm

Part V: Clinical Interventions for Impacted Individuals 265

15 Empirically Based Trauma Therapies 267
Thea Gallagher, Natalie G. Gay, Anu Asnaani, and Edna B. Foa

16 Public Relief Efforts From an International Perspective 293
Kari Dyregrov, Atle Dyregrov, and Pål Kristensen

17 Mental Health Service Utilization Following Mass Shootings 312
Andrew J. Smith, Katharine Donlon Ramsdell, Michael F. Wusik, and Russell T. Jones

18 Resiliency and Posttraumatic Growth 331
Andrea M. Despotes, David P. Valentiner, and Melissa London

Part VI: Prevention, Ethics, and Future Directions 351

19 Threat Assessment and Violence Prevention 353
Dewey Cornell and Pooja Datta

20 Ethical Conduct of Research in the Aftermath of Mass Shootings 372
Elana Newman, Chelsea Shotwell Tabke, and Betty Pfefferbaum

21 Future Directions 388
Danny Axsom

Index 401