Understanding the Causes of School Violence Using Open Source Data, United States, 1990-2016

This study provides an evidence-based understanding on etiological issues related to school shootings and rampage shootings. It created a national, open-source database that includes all publicly known shootings that resulted in at least one injury that occurred on K-12 school grounds between 1990 and 2016. The investigators sought to better understand the nature of the problem and clarify the types of shooting incidents occurring in schools, provide information on the characteristics of school shooters, and compare fatal shooting incidents to events where only injuries resulted to identify intervention points that could be exploited to reduce the harm caused by shootings. To accomplish these objectives, the investigators used quantitative multivariate and qualitative case studies research methods to document where and when school violence occurs, and highlight key incident and perpetrator level characteristics to help law enforcement and school administrators differentiate between the kinds of school shootings that exist, to further policy responses that are appropriate for individuals and communities.

本研究通过实证分析，系统阐释了与校园枪击案及无差别大规模枪击案相关的成因学议题。研究团队构建了全国性开源数据库，收录1990年至2016年间发生在K-12校园内、造成至少1人受伤的所有公开可查枪击事件。研究旨在进一步明晰该问题的本质，厘清校园枪击事件的类型，提供校园枪击行凶者的特征信息，并对比致死性枪击事件与仅造成人员受伤的事件，以识别可用于降低枪击危害的干预切入点。为达成上述目标，研究团队采用定量多元分析与定性案例研究相结合的方法，记录校园暴力的发生时间与地点，梳理关键事件及行凶者层面的特征，协助执法部门与学校管理者区分各类校园枪击事件，进而制定适配个体与社区的政策应对方案。