Different Types of Role Model Influence and Fame Seeking Among Mass Killers and Copycat Offenders
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3758060 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peter Langman (0000-0002-0896-4897, School Shooters.Info and Langman Psychological Associates, LLC, Allentown, PA, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 210-228 |
| Publication date | 2018-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Behavioral Scientist (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-7642 • E-ISSN: 1552-3381 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0002764217739663 |
| OpenAlex | W2765163116 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 26 |
| References cited | 9 |
Contagion and copycat behavior among mass killers is often discussed in the media when there are multiple attacks within a short span of time. Proximity in time, however, does not necessarily mean that one attack inspired another. This study examines the clearest cases of role modeling and fame seeking among mass killers in which the perpetrators personally acknowledged these types of influence and motivation in their own lives. Instead of simply categorizing potential copycat offenders in a "yes"/"no" binary fashion, it outlines many different types of influence, imitation, and inspiration and then provides evidence on perpetrators who represent examples of each type. Overall, findings suggest that most killers were not gaining insights into attack methodology from their role models, but rather were drawn to the prior perpetrators for a variety of personal reasons. Looking ahead, because of the frequency of mass killers citing previous perpetrators as role models or sources of inspiration, it is critical that media outlets give careful consideration to how they cover such incidents
Cognitive science · Copycat · Criminology · Imitation · Mass media · Political science · Variety (cybernetics) · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Gun Ownership and Violence Research · Law · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology · Social Psychology
Legacy of Violence
Childhood adversity and mass shooter behavioral and motivational attributes
Counter-Terrorism, Ethics and Technology
Putting Fame and Celebrity in a Psychosocial Framework
Contextualizing Firearms in Mass Shooting Incidents
A heuristic study of the similarities and differences in offender characteristics across potential and successful serial sexual homicide offenders
Homicide and the Internet
Advancing Knowledge of School Shootings
Fame seeking mass shooters in Eastern Europe
The ‘tarrant effect’
Public mass shootings in developed countries
Why have public mass shootings become more deadly
Responses to mass shooting events
Perpetuating Perpetrators
An Interdisciplinary Experience in the Study of School Shooters’ Written Communication to Identify Markers of Warning Behavior
The Shame Spiral in School Shootings
How the Actions of Fictional Characters Influence Copycat Offenders
Similarities between copycat mass shooters and their role models
Media Coverage of Mass Killers
Covering Mass Murder
The globalization of American mass shootings? An assessment of fame-seeking perpetrators and their influence worldwide
Modeling the Process of School Shooters Radicalization (Russian Case)
Do the media unintentionally make mass killers into celebrities? An assessment of free advertising and earned media value
Global Online Subculture Surrounding School Shootings
Reducing Media-Induced Mass Killings
How Mass Public Shooters Use Social Media
| Unique citing works | 26 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,25 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2026 (9) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 24 |