Date of Conferral

3-24-2025

Date of Award

March 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Silvia Bigatti

Abstract

Over 1,000 lives have been lost in school shootings in the United States. Many school shooters are current or former students ages 12 to 18, predisposed to risk factors (e.g., mental illness, bullying, trauma). Teachers have a crucial role in school safety, but their voices are underrepresented regarding school shooting interventions. Guided by the social ecological model, this generic qualitative research explored teachers’ perspectives of the risk factors, protective factors, and intervention strategies for school shootings. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 secondary education teachers from various states in the United States. The collected data were then thematically analyzed. The risk factors and protective factors fell within the themes of (a) emotional stability to overcome their circumstances, (b) powerful influence of a social network, (c) normalization or glorification of violence, and (d) striving to make an impact in the world. Intervention strategies fell within the themes of (a) cultivating a culture where relationships will thrive, (b) supporting the physical and emotional well-being of all, (c) it takes a village to intervene across all ecological levels, and (d) wanting to help, but how do we help and responsibility assignment. The findings of this study have potential implications for positive social change that include informing training opportunities and areas for further research to help address the issue of school shootings.

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