Copy Cats that KillThreats of School Violence in Pennsylvania After Media Coverage of the Columbine High School Massacre
Spencer Kostinsky, MD, Edward Bixler, Ph.D., Paul Kettl, MD
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Vol 155 September 2001, 994-1001
Available from Dr. Kettl at pkettl@psu.eduThe media gives a lot of attention to school violence, and that attention can encourage more threats of violence, according to a study published in September 2001.
Threats of school violence have been rare in Pennsylvania, with estimates of one or two threats per year before the Columbine school killings in April 1999. But during the 50 days after the Columbine deaths, Pennsylvania school districts reported 354 threats of school violence.
The study would have been more persuasive if they actually had collected comparable statistics just before the killings, but the pattern of incidents afterwards are clear. None of the threats were made the day after Columbine, and most of the threats were made on or before day 10 after Columbine. Threats peaked approximately a week after the shootings, on days 8, 9, and 10.
The study also found that threats were more likely at schools with a greater proportion of white students and larger school enrollment. Threats were unrelated to other factors, such as size of classes, dropout rates, teacher salaries, or state assessment scores.
Concerns about "copy cat" violence are not new, but this study clearly shows that those concerns are justified. The findings are similar to earlier studies showing an increase in teen suicides after TV programs about teen suicide or news media coverage of a suicide. It is also important to note that the threats in Pennsylvania were widespread: of the 501 school districts, 172 reported at least one threat after Columbine.
The researchers focus on the implications for the media, suggesting that they not give so much attention to these violent incidents and that they avoid portraying perpetrators as counterculture heroes. The implications for teachers, school administrators and counselors, and parents are not so clear: should they talk to students about the incidents, or does that just give more attention to them? Unfortunately, this study can’t answer that important question, but common sense suggests the need to discuss violent incidents in a way that does not glorify them in any way.
These articles are based on Diana Zuckerman's monthly Research Watch columns that appeared in Youth Today in issues from November 1999 through November 2004, and were reprinted with permission. Youth Today is a publication of the American Youth Work Center, 1200 17th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. (800) 599-2455. E-mail: youthtoday@aol.com.
