Psychology 315: From Columbine to Parkland: How School Shooters Develop

The US has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined. Who are these shooters and how did they develop? This course will explore the development of these teens through case studies along with theoretical and empirical work on likely contributing factors.  Through the lens of developmental psychology, we will explore topics such as physiology and brain development, psychopathy, psychosis, trauma, decision-making, masculinity, bullying, parenting and the media. Assignments may include class discussion, frequent short writing assignments, class presentations and a final paper.