Read this book for my book group, very reluctantly. I just have never been interested in crime stories.
My book group rated it very highly: they valued the quality of the writing, the quality of the research behind it, and the wide-ranging aspects of the reporting.
I couldn't help wanting to consider the public policy implications of what Cullen had to say about the events of that day. A mental health professional and researcher Cullen spoke came to believe that both shooters, Harris and Klebold, had undiagnosed mental health illness. Harris was a narcissistic psychopath (the shooting was originally intended to be a bombing and to demonstrated his superiority) and Klebold suffered from depression and perhaps other mental health illness. I'm grossly simplifying.
The public policy implication I inferred from the reporting in this book is that school shootings are a significant public health problem deserving of public investment. Money should be spent on research and on educating the public about the kinds of signs that troubled teenagers (and others) may display before a shooting event. Further, there is a need for school shooting reporting to be less sensationalistic (to some extent, I think the frequency of school shootings might cause that already to be happening). I recall that in The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell reported a phenomenon in a South Sea island community, in which suicide had become contagious among teenagers. I think this "contagion," this impulse for teenagers to imitate each other, is very profound. We should be aware of it and act accordingly. I think that response should include not publicizing school shooters because giving school shooters notoriety is part of the problem. Although Cullen did not address this topic, I think that there is a need for a greater institutional response, including trainings, about shootings of this kind and how public administrators and front line public service providers should respond.
My book group rated it very highly: they valued the quality of the writing, the quality of the research behind it, and the wide-ranging aspects of the reporting.
I couldn't help wanting to consider the public policy implications of what Cullen had to say about the events of that day. A mental health professional and researcher Cullen spoke came to believe that both shooters, Harris and Klebold, had undiagnosed mental health illness. Harris was a narcissistic psychopath (the shooting was originally intended to be a bombing and to demonstrated his superiority) and Klebold suffered from depression and perhaps other mental health illness. I'm grossly simplifying.
The public policy implication I inferred from the reporting in this book is that school shootings are a significant public health problem deserving of public investment. Money should be spent on research and on educating the public about the kinds of signs that troubled teenagers (and others) may display before a shooting event. Further, there is a need for school shooting reporting to be less sensationalistic (to some extent, I think the frequency of school shootings might cause that already to be happening). I recall that in The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell reported a phenomenon in a South Sea island community, in which suicide had become contagious among teenagers. I think this "contagion," this impulse for teenagers to imitate each other, is very profound. We should be aware of it and act accordingly. I think that response should include not publicizing school shooters because giving school shooters notoriety is part of the problem. Although Cullen did not address this topic, I think that there is a need for a greater institutional response, including trainings, about shootings of this kind and how public administrators and front line public service providers should respond.
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