The Silent Crisis: Examining Masculinity, Mental Health and Mass Shootings

• In Event: Masculinity and Mass Shootings

Abstract

Objective:

Despite advances in the extant mass violence literature, past studies have yet to examine how masculinity and mental health may intersect in a way that results in mass violence. This study examines how responses to strained masculinity and mental health contribute to offenders’ decisions to commit mass shootings.

Data and Method:

Data come from the U.S. Extremist Crime Database, Bias Homicide Database, and Schildkraut’s mass shooting database. Drawing from Allison and Klein’s (2021) concept of “strained masculinity”, this study utilizes a homicide narrative approach to uncover themes of strained masculinity and mental health challenges among perpetrators of mass shootings.

Results:

Different narratives emerge capturing ways some men use mass violence to address challenges in their pursuit of hegemonic masculinity. The “strained masculinity” framework is extended by examining how challenges to mental health and masculinity can intersect in ways that influence offenders’ decisions to commit mass shootings.

Implications:

Findings contribute to the literature on the causes and consequences of mass shootings and demonstrates the utility of the “strained masculinity” concept for understanding why these violent crimes occur. Future research should continue to consider how challenges to mental health and masculinity intersect in ways that can inform mass violence preventative initiatives.

Authors

• Kait Campbell, Michigan State University

• Kayla Allison, University of Arkansas

• Jeffrey Gruenewald, University of Arkansas