A Content Analysis of News Reports of Averted School Rampages

Abstract

Although the majority of research into school violence have focused attention on lethal or injury-producing incidents, this focus provides only partial information about school violence prevention. Moore, Petrie, Braga, and McLaughlin (2003) suggested that researchers turn their attention to those incidents in which a potentially lethal situation was averted. In this article, we present results of a content analysis of news reports of school rampages that were foiled. Specifically, we sought to answer five questions: (1) What were the details of the plot? (2) How was the plot discovered? (3) What actions did the school take? (4) What actions did the police take? (5) What were the legal outcomes? Significant findings and implications for averting school rampages are discussed in light of the results.