Inspiration Article

Spring1846 1 Spring1846

English 1

Instructor Name

7 June 2016

Understanding How to Prevent Mass Shootings by Understanding Hegemonic Masculinity

On April 20,1999, 12 students and 1 teacher were shot dead at Columbine High School,

and the American people came to know the names "Eric Harris" and "Dylan Klebold". Their

rampage ignited heated debates about the state of mental health care, gun control and the

availability of violent media. Is mental health care affordable to those who need it? Should

firearms and violent video games be more restricted, or even banned? Years later we're still

asking the same questions because we still have the same problem: mass shootings. We've all

seen their names splashed across our screens: James Holmes, who gunned down theatergoers

in Aurora, Colorado; Adam Lanza, who killed children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary

School in Newtown, Connecticut; Elliot Rodger, who went on a drive-by shooting spree near the

University of California, Santa Barbara campus; and Seung-Hui Cho, whose rampage at Virginia

Tech University left many schoolmates and faculty dead. Mental health care is more accessible

now than it was 17 years ago, and gun control has progressed, yet we are still reading the same

heartbreaking headlines. In spite of our best efforts, mass shootings are more common now

than they were nearly 20 years ago. Between 1999 and 2013 there have been no less than 317

known mass shootings here in the US, leaving 1,554 dead (Krouse and Richardson 12). What else

can we possibly do to stop these tragedies? Is there another factor these killers share that still

hasn't been addressed? As a matter of fact, there is: they are all men. I'm not saying their sex

Spring1846 2 made them do it. I'm saying their gender, or rather our society's expectations of the masculine

gender, played an undeniable role in the motivations behind their actions.

In our society men are expected to be strong, confident leaders. It is impossible to

ignore the archetypical "heroic male" promoted by our movies and advertisements, and our

celebration of soldiers and athletes. It’s true that positive traits associated with masculinity,

such as independence and discipline, should be encouraged. But on the other hand, we do not

typically differentiate between positive and negative characteristics in these glorifications, so we

end up also promoting aggressiveness, narcissism, stoicness and bravado. As a consequence

“manhood must be earned and maintained through publicly verifiable actions” (Vandello and

Bosson 1). Harris and Klebold were constantly reminded of their low standing in the social

patriarchy by the school’s manly jocks, tormented with taunts like "nice dress" and pelted with

rocks (Kalish, Rachel, and Kimmel 460). In the end the two boys retaliated by becoming what

they were always told they should be: strong, aggressive and above all, dominant. Examining

subsequent shootings, one can't help but notice a pattern: a young man’s frustration with being

unable to live up to our culture's gender norms leads to violent over-compensation.

But do our gender norms really need to be revised in order to prevent mass shootings?

Can’t we just get rid of firearms, give these men a counselor, and restrict brutally violent

entertainment? These solutions only appear easy on the surface and as I discuss them one by

one I’m sure you’ll see that in order for this problem to be dealt with we must accept that

hegemonic masculinity is at the root of it all.

Immediately after a rampage shooting lawmakers typically propose large numbers of

gun control bills. In the end, very few of them are passed (Diep). But if we strengthened gun

Spring1846 3 control, wouldn’t that keep these shootings from taking place? The truth is, comprehensive

background checks wouldn't have as much of an impact as many would like us to believe. Their

effectiveness is dependant on the completeness of the records supplied to the NICS database,

which, in turn, is dependant on whether or not the state submits them (Wolf and Rosen 876-

877). But none of that matters if there's nothing to submit in the first place. You see, the

majority of these shooters had no preexisting criminal record. Although Elliot Rodger had

assaulted and harassed others prior to his rampage, witnesses and victims failed to report any of

those incidents to authorities (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Ofc. 46, 48, 49 ). They only came

to light when it was too late. The assumption that these men have criminal records because

they committed a crime is a hasty generalization. But what about tightening the restrictions on

firearm sales to the mentally ill? Many mass shooters were known to suffer from a mental

illness, so wouldn’t this be effective? For similar reasons this, too, is a hasty generalization. Not

all mentally ill men receive professional help for their condition, so their health records wouldn’t

mention whether they were mentally ill or not. Furthermore, the state would need to submit

the health records to the NICS database, but because this isn’t mandatory, the state may not do

so. (Wolf and Rosen 876-877). While gun control may reduce the likelihood of a mass shooting,

it fails to address any of the underlying problems. With or without an automatic weapon, we

would still have deeply troubled men ready to explode.

If the majority mass shooters are mentally unstable, wouldn’t it be logical to conclude

that mental illness is the primary risk factor for mass shootings? Should we direct all of our

resources to ensuring that they can find treatment? Hildegard Messenbaugh, M.D., writes, “The

way to prevent the next mass shooter from acting on his thoughts is to make . . . mental health

care [accessible] for the people who . . . need it.” Many agree with Dr. Messenbaugh: 63% of

Spring1846 4 Americans believe that mental health problems are behind mass shootings (The Washington

Post 10). But this is simply a post hoc ergo propter hoc. If anything, the mentally ill are much

more likely to be victims than victimisers (Brekke et al. 1363-1365). The biggest problem with

mental health care isn't its cost: it's the quality. For example, Adam Lanza underwent

psychiatric evaluation at multiple stages in his life, and not only did they fail him, he rejected

them. He would not admit his weakness and rely on the counselors (Eagan et al.) Doing so would

be against the unwritten code of manhood. Indeed, men are much less likely to accept

psychiatric help than women. "What we're finding is that the more men 'do their gender' and

define themselves by traditional roles in our society, the less they tend to get help," says James

Mahalik, PhD, of Boston College (qtd. In Winerman). When we argue that there is a direct link

between mental illness and gun violence, we reinforce the social stigma that often accompanies

these disorders. If people, especially men, are ashamed of their condition, they will be less open

to admitting they need help. We could have the best mental health care in the world, and it

could be available at absolutely no cost, but it won't mean a thing if the men who need it won't

accept it.

But can't we force treatment on them? That depends. Usually a court can order the

involuntary treatment of those with a mental illness who may harm themselves or others.

However, before that can happen someone else needs to file a petition seeking the treatment of

another. Jared Lee Loughner's threatening behaviour and paranoid ramblings could have easily

been used to have him committed according to Charles Arnold, an attorney and a leading

Arizona expert on mental health and the law (Alaimo, Steller and Skinner). Yet Pima Community

College chose to only suspend him (Pima Community College. Dept. of Public Safety). Just a few

months later he killed 6 and injured 13 others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. But

Spring1846 5 we must also consider the possible repercussions, such as worsening the patient's condition. "I

recall three people . . . each one . . . fired me as their doctor. Each time . . . my patient was

traumatized by the experience of being taken forcibly, restrained and brought by ambulance or

police cruiser to a psychiatric hospital where he or she was involuntarily admitted," recalls Lloyd

I. Sederer M.D., Medical Director of the New York State Office of Mental Health and Adjunct

Professor at the Columbia/Mailman School of Public Health. "In one instance, my patient later

stalked me and was a threat to my safety". And again, a man can be forced into treatment, but

cannot be forced to accept it.

Mass shooters have one other aspect in common: they played violent video games. Call

of Duty, one such game series, is played by mass shooters. It also happens to be one of the

world's best-selling video game franchises, selling nearly 200 million copies since its first entry

(Lowe). How many players do you think become murderers? The idea that enjoying violent

video games is the beginning of a slippery slope ending in a mass shooting is absurd. There is no

significant link between killing humans in real life and killing them in a virtual world, and

investigating this nonsense is a waste of police resources. Furthermore, it distracts the public

from much more important issues and may lead to unnecessary public panic and anxiety

(Ferguson 34). Clearly, entertainment is not the cause of mass shootings, but it may at times

give us insight into the views of these men. Military-themed games are particularly loved by

men, and mass shooters are no exception. Most of them do support the worst parts of

masculine ideals, but so does every other form of entertainment. Again, our gender norms are

at the root of the problem.

Blaming fantasy is only a red herring. And even if we could ban guns right now, our

troubled boys wouldn't be relieved of their insecurity and rage. We can't currently expect them

Spring1846 6 to rely on our mental health experts, either. These men refused assistance because they've been

conditioned by our culture to see weakness, fear and emotion as unacceptable. They turned to

savagery because we’ve taught them that converting emotional suffering into anger is not only

desirable, but vital to their gender identity. We need to stop this. We need our boys to develop

their own sense of masculinity, shaped around their own identity. Let’s stop raising bullies; let’s

stop teaching the bullied they have the right to seek revenge. Our boys should be comfortable

enough in their own skin to be able to ask for help. We need to openly discuss the negative

effects of our masculine gender norms, especially in regard to cases such as these, in order to

prevent mass shootings.

If we want men to confront gender-related violence, then our best course of action is to

properly frame these issues as men’s issues (Carlson et al.). Right now the vast majority of

discussion about the links between hegemonic masculinity and gun violence are found in

feminist publications, written from women’s perspectives. These are not the places men

concerned with staying in line with masculine ideology, the men we want to reach, would look.

And most of the authors don’t seem interested in making their reasoning relatable to men. If

someone asked you to rethink your identity and sociopolitical views and gave “you are a brutish,

insensitive monster” as their reasoning, would you want to listen? Didn’t think so.

But such language isn’t surprising. Many feminists question whether masculinities are

worth serious discussion, and with good reason. After all, aren’t we always hearing and reading

about men and what they do? Isn’t it men who have oppressed women in the past? For this

reason there is fear that focusing on masculine issues will draw attention away from women’s

issues. This is a genetic fallacy. Americans are no longer only concerned with men’s interests.

Having a better understanding of masculinities and their proper place in our culture does not

Spring1846 7 undo the victories for equality feminists have fought so hard to achieve. Besides, it will help men

be better husbands, brothers and sons. Isn’t that what everyone, men and women, wants?

There is also concern that providing mass shootings with even more news coverage

turns the shooters into celebrities, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps for instant fame

For this reason Tom and Caren Teves, founders of the No Notoriety campaign, contend that the

media should refrain from publicly releasing the names, photos and background information of

shooters and instead focus on celebrating the legacies of the victims (Teves). According to their

argument we can either keep silent and keep the peace, or inspire legions of “copycats”. This is

a fine example of a false dilemma. It’s perfectly possible, not to mention wise, to publicly discuss

the risk factors of mass shootings. Even if we do not agree on the best course of action, we can

all agree that major aspects of our society need to change to end these tragedies. We all need to

participate in active discussion for that to happen.

Today, exchanging ideas and views with hundreds (even thousands) about important

topics is only a click away. Even so, changing long-held societal views probably seems difficult,

but recent years have proven that a rapid change in public opinion is possible. Take, for

example, the topic of gay marriage. Not so long ago the majority of American citizens were

against it, but look at us now. How far we’ve come in such a short amount of time because we

didn’t give up, because we didn’t stay quiet. Social media and a growing interest in gender

politics make now the perfect time to finally tackle these issues. We do not have to wait another

17 years. We can start a conversation right now. We have only so much time and so many

resources, so let’s make good use of them.

Spring1846 8 Works Cited

Alaimo, Carol Ann, Tim Steller and M. Scot Skinner. Arizona Daily Star. Arizona Daily Star, 15 Jan.

2011. Web. 25 May 2016.

Brekke, John S., Cathy Prindle, Sung Woo Bae, and Jeffrey D. Long. "Risks for Individuals With

Schizophrenia Who Are Living in the Community." Psychiatric Services 52.10 (2001):

1363-1365. Web. 25 May 2016.

Carlson, Juliana, Erin Casey, Jeffrey L. Edleson, Richard M. Tolman, Tova B. Walsh, and Ericka

Kimball. Strategies to Engage Men and Boys in Violence Prevention: A Global

Organizational Perspective. UW Tacoma. University of Washington Tacoma, 2015. Web.

25 May 2016.

Diep, Francie. “How Many Gun Bills Pass After Mass Shootings?” Popular Science. Bonnier

Corporation, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 May 2016.

Eagan, Sarah Healy, Faith VosWinkel, Julian D. Ford, Christopher Lyddy, Harold I. Schwartz, and

Andrea Spencer. Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Connecticut's Official State

Website. Connecticut Government, 2014. Web. 25 May 2016.

Ferguson, Christopher J. “The School Shooting/Violent Video Game Link: Causal Relationship Or

Moral Panic?” Journal Of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling 5.1/2 (2008): 25-

37. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 25 May 2016.

Kalish, Rachel, and Michael Kimmel. "Suicide By Mass Murder: Masculinity, Aggrieved

Entitlement, And Rampage School Shootings." Health Sociology Review 19.4 (2010): 460.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 May 2016.

Spring1846 9 Krouse, William J. and Daniel J. Richardson. Mass Murder with Firearms: Incidents and Victims,

1999-2013. Federation of American Scientists. Congressional Research Service, 2015.

Web. 25 May 2016.

Lowe, Scott. “Call of Duty Infographic: Over 300 Million Grenades Thrown.” Activision Games

Blog. Activision Publishing, Inc., 26 March 2015. Web. 25 May 2016.

Messenbaugh, Hildegard. “Long-Term Mental Health Care is a Must for Mass Shootings to End.”

The Denver Post. Digital First Media, 9 Feb. 2015. Web. 25 May 2016.

Pima Community College. Dept. of Public Safety. Jared L. Loughner's Troubles at Pima

Community College. The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 2011. Web. 25

May 2016.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Isla Vista Mass Murder May 23, 2014 Investigative

Summary. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office,

2015. Web. 25 May 2016.

Sederer, Lloyd I. “Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization.” Psychology Today. Sussex Directories,

Inc., 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 May 2016.

Teves, Tom and Caren Teves. “Q & A With our Founders.” No Notoriety. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May

2016.

The Washington Post and ABC News. “Washington Post-ABC News poll, Oct. 15-18,

2015.” The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2015. Web. 25 May 2016.

Spring1846 10 Vandello, Joseph A. and Jennifer K. Bosson. Hard Won and Easily Lost: A Review and Synthesis of

Theory and Research on Precarious Manhood. American Psychological Association.

American Psychological Association, 2013. Web. 25 May 2016.

Winerman, Lea. "Helping men to help themselves." Monitor on Psychology 36.6 (2005). Web. 25

May 2016.

Wolf, Carolyn Reinach, and Jamie A. Rosen. “Missing The Mark: Gun Control Is Not The Cure For

What Ails The U.S. Mental Health System.” Journal Of Criminal Law & Criminology 104.4

(2015): 876-877. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 25 May 2016.