The US has been witnessing for many years now the issue of mass shooting. Mapping the phenomenon over years and keeping relevant statistics reveal quite appealing facts as far as how the issue is being tackled. Several approaches have been used, most insights today lead to a “Public Health Approach” to the issue.
Mass shooting is not just gun violence
It is important tu highlight the fact that even though mass shooting is done guns in most cases , having a gun should not be considered as the rationale behind mass shooting many reasons. It is different from Afro-American being killed by the police. Monitoring violence in the world shows that every single society is endowed with violence capability. “Mass shooting as public health issue” theory is embedded in undeniable facts and diagnostic provided. In most cases of mass shooting, shooters end up being qualified as “Insane” for reasons of their behaviours is thoroughly out of the set of traditional reasons that pushes people to commit such crimes. Authorities usually make use of expressions and words that go down to insanity, psychological disorder. Getting to the root of the matter means once should wonder about how de we get to such level of sickness as a country.
The insights on the issue of mass shooting in the US speaks loudly for itself. Let’s look at the fact in a nutshell:
1- From 1982 to 2022 it has been recorded about 131 mass shooting ( more than 4 people kills) and with the redefinition of the term “mass shooting ” recent statistics go above 250 cases.
2- If not the majority of States, almost all are concerned with thousands people killed
3- 50 % of the shooters are less than 20 years old
4- 20% of the shooters are indeed subjected to psychological disorder
5- 80% of the shooters fall within the following reasons: frustrations due to marginalisation, humiliation, revenge, looking for attention, being inspired by someone who did the same, and no clear reasons for many cases. At the end of the day the obvious stands out: we are likely to witness a typical case of what I call a ” societal psychological disorder ” in the US, to tackling the situation requires to adopt the Public Health Issue approach to understand the matter, and many experts in the US are already bringing in the notion of epistemology of mass shooting in the US.
Mass shooting as a public Heath issue
what is the way out?
Alternatives to fix the situation could be the creation of a more conducive educational system where some human values and standards that preserve lives are taught in a behavioural approach and an effective reduction of the social injustice in terms of living conditions. The extremes seem to be highly outrageous based on facts revealing extremely poor people on one side and people living above abundance on the other side; people loosing their homes more and more. Such a healing process will require radical changes in some social standards and behaviours. Much more alternatives
What ever it is, I believe Americans can find their way out. The question is “are they ready for it?” Depending on the answer we might have better scenario or worst nightmares.
How is the World? 