Joshua Gladwell
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Introduction

The issue of school shootings in the United States has become impossible to ignore. Regardless of one's political views on gun control, nearly all Americans agree that school shootings are a problem that must be solved.

My project takes a closer look at the data behind school shootings in the United States with the goal of understanding the phenomenon at a deeper level. There has been much research performed in favor of both tightening and loosening legislature surrounding gun control. My project will not contribute to either side of this research, and will not address any matter related to gun control policies. Rather, my project will seek to identify other possible factors that contribute to the occurrence of a school shooting.

Some examples of questions I will pursue in my project include:

  1. How do people talk about school shootings when they happen? Are they angry/emotional, or impartial?
  2. Why do some school shootings demand more national attention than others? Are there any patterns?
  3. Is there any correlation between the frequency or severity of school shootings and a school's racial demographics? Do shootings at predominantly white schools attract more media attention?
  4. Is there any correlation between the frequency or severity of school shootings and the economic status of the school's location?
  5. Is there any correlation between the frequency or severity of school shootings and a school's educational success/rating (either according to traditional metrics such as test scores or more progressive metrics)?
  6. Is there any evidence to suggest that school shootings rise in frequency or severity following school shootings that receive extensive media attention (for example, Columbine, Sandy Hook, Uvalde)?
  7. Is there any correlation between the frequency or severity of school shootings and the weather patterns associated with the location of the school?
  8. Have school shootings become more frequent or less frequent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  9. How have public perceptions on school shootings changed over time? An idea known as the Columbine Effect suggests that many school shooters are motivated by other school shooters. If there is a correlation between public perceptions and school shooting frequency, does one seem to follow the other?
  10. Is there any correlation between the frequency of school shootings and the level at which the school's city or town is policed?