Group Socialization, the Internet and School Shootings

Within the context of group socialization, this article posits that the Internet probably provided several school shooters who have felt victimized over time with the support they needed to murder those they perceived to be their perpetrators. In using the salient literature on group socialization and newspaper accounts that examine the backgrounds of the shooters, the authors connect school shootings with the victimization of shooters in early friendships, their socialization as males, and the Internet as a source of in-group support for the hostility they turned outward. The major conclusion drawn from the literature review is that the school shooting phenomenon is a multi-faceted, dynamic problem and that the problem warrants considerable, tedious research in order for members of society to understand it completely. In the meantime, the authors point out the need for educating parents about the Internet, implementing anti- bullying programs, advocating for quality mental health services in schools, and developing Internet support groups for youth.