Citation

Hong JS, Cho H, Lee AS. J. Loss Trauma 2010; 15(6): 561-575.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15325024.2010.519285

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

School shooting cases since the late 1990s have prompted school officials and legislators to develop and implement programs and measures that would prevent violence in school. Despite the number of explanations by the media, politicians, organizations, and researchers about the etiology of school shootings, we are not united in our understanding of the risk factors, particularly those relevant to racial minorities and immigrants. This article examines the Virginia Tech shooting incident using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. We assess a number of risk factors that operate within five system levels (the micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono systems) and draw implications for assessment and intervention.