In the wake of the recent spate of school shootings, researchers are analyzing the malevolent fantasies of young killers for warning signs that could help prevent future tragedies.
The chances of dying in school remain extremely slim, but the recent spate of school shootings has cast a dark shadow over what was supposed to be a safe and enriching environment for children. This horrific trend has brought new urgency to efforts to uncover the roots of this deviation and to help educators, parents and psychologists recognize the signs of a problem before it escalates.
Working with violent teenagers and adults has helped to understand some of the motives of young shooters and to identify several warning signs that can help predict school violence.
Many of the research’s insights came from analyzing the violent fantasies of teen shooters. These notions take root in a desperate mind that yearns for recognition. Often these young killers are inspired by previous shooters. Fantasies usually intensify for several years before they become reality. Over time, the mental images become more detailed, and they are often reinforced by a distorted sense of justice or morality, such as the need to avenge an alleged crime or a belief in the divine right to decide the fate of others.
At first, troubled teens usually keep their fantasies private, but they increasingly begin to communicate their thoughts and plans to friends, chat rooms, and even the media. Recognizing the signs of such deadly thoughts, as opposed to harmless dreams, can help parents, teachers, social workers, and other trusted adults prevent trouble before it starts.
Seeds of Violence
Fantasies and dreams often stimulate productive human activity. They also contribute to the healthy psychological development of children and adolescents, enabling forward thinking or “desirable” thinking and creativity. So it’s normal for a teenage boy to escape into dreams of making love with his girlfriend during an extremely boring class at school.
Of course, dreams and daydreams sometimes have a dark and cruel connotation. According to research by psychologist David Bass of the University of Texas at Austin, almost everyone has imagined vengeful scenarios, even deadly ones, after particularly frustrating experiences. Such fantasies can relieve tension and thus can be considered a type of psychological hygiene. As the Austrian psychoanalyst Theodor Reik said: «A mental murder a day scares away the psychiatrist.»
But what purifies a healthy mind can overwhelm a less balanced psyche. Signs of a mental disorder include excessive introversion and a lack of strong social attachments.