The bullying-school shooting nexus: Bridging master narratives of mass violence with personal narratives of social exclusion

ABSTRACT

This study examines the narratives that people who are deeply interested in school shootings tell about school shootings and their interest in the subject. Data come from 22 qualitative online interviews with individuals from 12 countries across the world, and the study is based on a framework of narrative criminology. We find that the theme of bullying weaves together personal narratives and the master narrative of school shootings. We discuss how deep interest in school shootings does not equal a desire to commit a massacre; rather, the circulation and recreation of the bullying story can reinforce scripts about responding to bullying with mass violence.

Notes

¹ Square brackets are used by the writers to clarify the interviewees’ words due to typing errors, etc.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jenni Raitanen

JENNI RAITANEN is Senior planning officer at the Criminal Sanctions Agency in Finland. She is currently writing her doctoral thesis in social psychology on deep interest in school shootings at the University of Tampere, Finland.

Sveinung Sandberg

SVEINUNG SANDBERG is Professor in Criminology at the University of Oslo. His research focuses on processes of marginalisation, violence, masculinity, illegal drugs, radicalization and social movements often using a narrative or discourse analytical approach.

Atte Oksanen

ATTE OKSANEN is Professor of social psychology at the University of Tampere, Finland. His research focuses on emerging technologies and social interaction. He has published in a variety of areas including youth studies, addiction research, and criminology.