Publication Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Summers, Kelly H.

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

LCSH

School management and organization

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, the incidence of rampage school shootings reached unprecedented levels and resulted in hundreds of deaths. Rampage shootings are both essentially random and defined by acts involving an attack on multiple parties. The purpose of the current study was to apply prior research to analyze previous multiple victim K-12 public school shooting incidents, specifically rampage school shootings occurring over the past two decades in the United States. This study is intended to help identify best practices for developing and conducting threat assessments in K-12 public schools by assessing the validity of Newman's (2004) five-prong model. Newman et al. (2004, p. 229) identified five "necessary but not sufficient" conditions needed in order for rampage school shootings to occur. This study utilized a historical case study methodology. In total, twelve rampage shooting incidents from 1996-2013 matched the criteria identified in Chapter 3. The overall results, represented in Table 4.4, provide support for the efficacy of Newman et al.'s (2004) framework. Behavioral threat assessment teams are likely the best method for prevention. While no process will completely eliminate risk, an assessment team utilizing Newman et al.'s (2004) framework as described in this study may be the best investment of time and resources a school district has to protect the safety of its students.

Comments

Advisors: Kelly H. Summers.||Committee members: Jon H. Crawford; Brad Hawk; Carolyn Pluim.||Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

xv, 216 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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