Comprehending Columbine cover

Author

Ralph W Larkin

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Comprehending Columbine

by Ralph W Larkin

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About this book

On April 20, 1999, two Colorado teenagers went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School. That day, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed twelve fellow students and a teacher, as well as wounding twenty-four other people, before they killed themselves. Although there have been other books written about the tragedy, this is the first serious, impartial investigation into the cultural, environmental, and psychological causes of the massacre.Based on first-hand interviews and a thorough reading of the relevant literature, Ralph Larkin examines the complex of factors that led the two young men to plan and carry out their deed. For Harris and Klebold, Larkin concludes, the carnage was an act of revenge against the "jocks" who had harassed and humiliated them, retribution against evangelical students who acted as if they were morally superior, an acting out of the mythology of right-wing paramilitary organization members to "die in a blaze of glory," and a deep desire for notoriety.Rather than simply looking at Columbine as a crucible for all school violence, Larkin places the tragedy in its proper context, and in doing so, examines its causes and meaning.

Publisher

Temple University Press

Published

2007-01-12

Pages

253

Language

EN

Education / GeneralEducation / Educational Policy & Reform / School SafetyEducation / Violence & HarassmentSocial Science / Children's StudiesSocial Science / Violence in Society

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Book details

Publisher: Temple University Press

Published: 2007-01-12

Pages: 253

Language: EN

Categories: Education / General, Education / Educational Policy & Reform / School Safety, Education / Violence & Harassment, Social Science / Children's Studies, Social Science / Violence in Society

Preview: Sample available

PDF: Available

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