Kendra Peele
ENG 111
Christine Hale
May 6, 2015
School Shooting

The article conducts research on the causes of aggression and school shootings. In the article rejection was said to come in three forms – Teasing, ostracism, and romantic rejection. Psychological theory and research supports the theory that these three forms rejection may be associated with aggression that can lead to projected anger from the victim. When someone is being publically teased or humiliated by the aggressor the message becomes clear that they are not liked nor valued by the abuser. Researchers started beginning with January, 1995 which is when school shootings began to get national recognition, to March 2001. For the shooting to qualify to be in the sample, the shooting had to occur during the school day, the shooting must have been perpetrated, and the shooter had to kill or injure at least one student. The article presented thirteen descriptions of the incidents which all meet the all of the previous requirements. Results showed that all of the shootings were related to some type of rejection or a mental illness. Some of the shooters were also fascinated with guns such as fifteen-year-old Kipland Kinkle. The results showed that after the analyses of school violence since 1995 support the hypothesis that social rejection was involved in most cases of lethal school violence. In the Frontline episode that featured Kipland Kinkle showed the steps that lead up to the day of his shooting. Kip was a victim of social rejection and he did go through a period of time when he stayed in constant trouble while hanging out with the “tough guys”. Kip grew up in the quiet town of Eugene, Organ . Throughout high school Kip would get into trouble and suspended often to the point where he began to embarrass his parents. Once his sister went off to college, Kip and his parents would get into arguments often without his sister to be their voice of reason. Kip did not receive much attention at home and really did not accept him as they did his sister. Whenever he was in he would be on the home computer for hours at a time watching porn, how to make explosives or hard rock with profane language such as “No Forgiveness, No Salvation”. Which showed a darker side of Kip. Even though violence was a big “No No” in the household, growing up Kip had an obsession with guns, knife, and bombs. Whenever he would experience a tough day in school he would come home and let off some homemade explosives. According to the article, individuals who not only had access to guns but who are fascinated by firearms and explosives may be more likely to act on their aggressive impulses because they are comfortable of dealing with instruments of destruction. As stated in the Frontline episode, not only was kip comfortable with firearms but he received a 32 semi-automatic pistol fully loaded with eight rounds. Kip was found with possession of the weapon and faced charges but was later released to his father. Kip suffered from the learning disability dyslexia. He also visited his psychologist Dr. Jeffery hicks. Kinkle went through nine sessions with his therapist and was taken off of Prozac after 3 months. According to Kip’s psychologist, Dr. Hicks