Host: What do we know about individuals who commit violence in schools?
Dr. Hayley Sherwood: According to the American Psychological Association Help Center, any of these behaviors that occurs over a period of time could signal the potential for violence.
A history of violent or aggressive behavior, serious alcohol or drug use, gang membership or a strong desire to be in a gang, access to or fascination with weapons especially guns, threatening others regularly, trouble controlling feelings like anger, withdrawal from friends and usual activities, feeling rejected or alone, having being a victim of bullying, poor school performance, a history of discipline problems or frequent run-ins with authority, feeling constantly disrespected, failing to acknowledge the rights of others.
While none of these behaviors alone mean that a person will necessarily become violent, they might indicate that more attention needs to be paid to the causes of such behaviors in an individual. 1
Videos in this Series
What do we know about individuals who commit violence in schools?
