DRAFT 1 OF PROSPECTUS

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Prospectus

Law Enforcement Perceptions of Social Media as an Influence in Mass Shootings

PhD in Criminal Justice – General Specialization

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Law Enforcement Perceptions of Social Media as an Influence in Mass Shootings

Problem Statement

The question of why the United States reports the highest number of mass shootings

compared with other developed economies is a significant security concern (Bonanno &

Levenson, 2014; Gold, 2015; Towers, Gomez-Lievano, Khan, Mubayi, & Castillo-Chavez,

2015). Mass shootings are often a result of political and ideological divisions, with 32,888

fatalities reported between 2013 and 2016 (Jashinky, Magnusson, Hanson, & Barnes, 2017).

Some scholars such as Bonanno & Levenson (2014) and Gold (2015), identify loose gun

ownership laws as the reason behind mass shootings in the United States while others,

(Gillin, Valverde, Jacobson & Greenberg, 2017) dispute that view, noting that violence is a

psychosocial issue. Other scholars (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2017; Gold, 2015), also cite neurological

conditions a perspective disputed by Gillin, Valverde, Jacobson and Greenberg (2017).

Social media has emerged as fundamental reason behind mass shooting incidents in

the United States (Towers et al., 2015). Such scholars as Meindl and Ivy (2017) have

demonstrated that the analysis of the influence social media has in mass shootings is a

significant issue for study, but the phenomenon is still unclear.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of how social media

influences the perpetrators of incidents of mass shootings in the United States. Researchers

have concentrated on the analysis of other factors such as gun control laws as explanations of

mass shootings. The impact social media has on the mass shooters, has however been

ignored, with minimal literature tying social media usage to mass shootings. In order to

bridge the gap that exists, the study will employ a qualitative approach. An analysis of mass

murder shootings in the United States will be used to develop an understanding of how social

media has contributed to influencing the perpetrators of mass murder shootings.

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Significance

This study will be a critical step towards a better understanding of how social media

have influenced mass shootings in the United States over the years. While other reasons that

explain the mass shooting incidents are widely researched, the role played by social media

remains under-researched. Media in its entirety remain a critical tool that shapes public

thought and discourse (Dahmen, Abdenour, McIntyre, & Noga-Styron, 2017). Media output,

therefore, plays a critical role in influencing how people think, and their resulting actions.

The implication, therefore, is that the presentation of mass shootings in the media highly

influences public thought. It is arguable that the perpetrators of such crimes derive their

ideology from the media (Cavanaugh, 2014). In addition, the traditional forms of media are

increasingly made obsolete by new media platforms. The new media platforms have a wider

and more effective reach, necessitating the analysis of how such platforms influence the

actions of mass shooting perpetrators.

Social media is one of the greatest drivers of globalization. It offers different

platforms through which ideologies, political statements and views are freely shared across

the globe (Dahmen et al., 2017). Given that globalization has made it easier to share

information across the globe, the study will examine how social media has provided a

platform where mass shooting perpetrators are influenced to commit these crimes. The

history of mass shootings suggests that the actions of the perpetrators are influenced by

particular ideologies or viewpoints. This study will provide insight on how social media

partakes in propagating ideologies that drive the actions of mass murderers.

The literature on mass shootings demonstrates a high prevalence of shooter scenarios

in the recent years, including the highly publicized shootings in Columbine high school,

Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary, Charleston Church Shooting, the Las Vegas

incident, and the most recent happening in Sutherland, Texas. The result of this study will

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reveal how mass shootings have become unique given how fast the information spreads on

social media. According to Bonanno and Levenson (2014), the age of the criminals involved

in shootings and the locations of the shooting incidents are the only differences between

different mass shooting incidents. Other factors such as ideological or political divisions

which the media regularly reports, and which precipitate the shootings remain constant. It is,

therefore, critical for the relevant authorities to come up with practical policies which counter

the shooting incidents which are captured and shared through social media rapidly (Bonanno

& Levenson, 2014).

Background

Selected articles focusing on mass shootings and the role social media plays in perpetuating

their occurrence are listed below:

1. Schildkraut et al. (2015) and Dahmen et al. (2017) focus on how public attitudes have

contributed to the occurrence of mass shootings in the United States. The latter

specifically looks into the role that media has played in influencing the actions of

mass murderers. The authors assess the impact that media coverage has had in

shaping the mentality and actions of the perpetrators of mass shootings.

2. Jashinky (2017) and McGinty et al. (2013) speak of how social media has influenced

the perceptions held by the public in the United States regarding mass murders. The

former looks into the debate surrounding gun ownership; which is critical in offering

perspective to the issue of mass shootings. The researchers also analyzed the vital role

that social media plays in framing the minds of the public, especially during the post-

shootings periods.

3. Meindl and Ivy (2017) elaborate on the average period it takes before a mass shooting

event occurs in the United States. Here they bring about the contagion effect when

one mass shooting precipitates the happening of another. The authors attempt to prove

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the argument of imitation, where perpetrators of mass shootings seem to copy past

perpetrators. The imitation argument offers an explanation to the high number of mass

shootings occurring within a short span of time.

4. Fox and DeLateur (2014) expound on theories and myths surrounding mass shootings

and homicides to establish the real causes. The author offers an in-depth analysis of

some of the mass shootings that have occurred in the United States. Besides, he also

offers suggestions on how the authorities can avert their occurrences.

5. Articles that focus on the history of mass shootings in the United States by Keller

(2017) and Dumbar-Ortiz (2017) where they weigh the factors that may have upset

the perpetrators to commit these crimes. The historical analysis of mass shootings in

the United States provides a context upon which the issue is understood. It allows a

deeper understanding of the issue and especially the evolution of the factors that drive

mass shooting perpetrators.

Framework

The theories used in this study are the Touchman’s Social Constructionism and the

Narrative of Murder theory. The Touchman’s Social Constructionism theory addresses public

consciousness and the events that people face on a daily basis (Andrews, 2012). According to

the social constructionists, knowledge is constructed, as opposed to being discovered. In the

context of mass shootings in the United States, therefore, social media acts as a tool which

creates knowledge for perpetrators (Andrews, 2012). The perpetrators seemingly developed a

shared meaning and motivation to conduct mass murder. The Touchman’s Social

Constructionism theory will, therefore, be vital in highlighting the impact social media has on

the actions of mass shootings perpetrators.

On the other hand, news on both single and mass murder shootings have become

common reports in the media (Keller, 2017). People, however, fail to recognize the likelihood

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of such events occurring within a short period. A good example is the case when 58 people

were murdered in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, while another shooting happened on

November 5, 2017, in Sutherland, Texas. Such incidents develop a trend that highlights the

normalization of violent crimes among the American audience (Keller, 2017). The focus of

social media when reporting the mass shootings is the likelihood of such crimes occurring as

opposed to focusing on the negative impact and deaths caused by the shooting. The

misguided focus on social media negatively impacts social constructionism, hence the

hypothesis that social media plays a role in influencing the perpetrators of mass shootings.

Research Question

Qualitative: What role does Facebook, play in influencing the actions of the

perpetrators of mass shootings in the United States?

Nature of the Study

The nature of the study will be the qualitative approach. A qualitative approach will

be more appropriate since it will offer room for finer interpretation of the phenomenon under

study (Taylor, Bogdan, & DeVault, 2015). Through this approach, the study will have the

potential to unearth a range of factors that associate social media and the occurrence of mass

shootings (Taylor et al., 2015).

In studying the role social media influences perpetrators of mass shootings, the

Down’s issue-attention cycle as explained by Cavanaugh (2014) will be employed.

According to Cavanaugh (2014), people visiting social media hold different perceptions

regarding the event after it has attracted their attention. Since social media offer a compelling

platform where news on mass shootings is shared, the Down’s issue-attention cycle will help

in analyzing the impact such news has on the audience. Through qualitative research, the

study will determine if social media acts as a tool that influences perpetrators of mass

shootings into committing such crimes.

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Possible Types and Sources of Data

1. Periodicals that elaborate on the social problems that drive perpetrators to engage in

mass shootings. For this reason, it will include political magazines among others, as

most divisions arise from holding different ideologies.

2. Interviews with criminology experts who have handled the perpetrators and those who

are familiar with gun control policies.

3. Measures of how social media use relates to other variables that have contributed to

the rise in mass murders.

4. Interviews on the factors that have contributed in upsetting individuals who commit

the mass murders.

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References

Andrews, T. (2012). What is social constructionism. Grounded theory review, 11(1), 39-46.

Bonanno, C. M., & Levenson Jr, R. L. (2014). School shooters: History, current theoretical

and empirical findings, and strategies for prevention. Sage Open, 4(1),

2158244014525425.

Cavanaugh, P. (2014). Mass shootings, mass media, and mass opinion: An examination of

how the news media affects public opinion in the aftermath of mass shootings. Res

Publica-Journal of Undergraduate Research, 19(1), 8.

Dahmen, N. S., Abdenour, J., McIntyre, K., & Noga-Styron, K. E. (2017). Covering mass

shootings: Journalists’ perceptions of coverage and factors influencing attitudes.

Journalism Practice, 1-21.

Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2017). Inside the minds of American mass shooters. Retrieved from

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/10/us-mass-shootings-history

Fox, J. A., & DeLateur, M. J. (2014). Mass shootings in America: Moving beyond Newtown.

Homicide Studies, 18(1), 125-145.

Gillin, J., Valverde, M., Jacobson, L., & Greenberg, J. (2017). The facts on mass shootings in

the United States. PolitiFact. Retrieved 9 December 2017, from

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/nov/08/facts-mass-shootings-

united-states/

Gold, L. H. (Ed.). (2015). Gun violence and mental illness. American Psychiatric Pub.

Jashinsky, J. M., Magnusson, B., Hanson, C., & Barnes, M. (2017). Media agenda-setting

regarding gun violence before and after a mass shooting. Frontiers in public health, 4,

291.

Keller, M. (2017). What explains U.S. mass shootings? International comparisons suggest an

answer. The New York Times. Retrieved from

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/world/americas/mass-shootings-us-

international.html

McGinty, E. E., Webster, D. W., & Barry, C. L. (2013). Effects of news media messages

about mass shootings on attitudes toward persons with serious mental illness and

public support for gun control policies. American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(5), 494-

501.

Meindl, J. N., & Ivy, J. W. (2017). Mass shootings: The role of the media in promoting

generalized imitation. American Journal of Public Health, 107(3), 368-370.

Schildkraut, J., & Elsass, H. J. (2015). The influence of media on public attitudes. The Wiley

Handbook of the Psychology of Mass Shootings, 115-135.

Schildkraut, J., Elsass, H. J., & Stafford, M. C. (2015). Could it happen here? Moral panic,

school shootings, and fear of crime among college students. Crime, Law and Social

Change, 63(1-2), 91-110.

Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research

methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.

Towers, S., Gomez-Lievano, A., Khan, M., Mubayi, A., & Castillo-Chavez, C. (2015).

Contagion in mass killings and school shootings. PLoS one, 10(7), e0117259.