Training Description
In this workshop, attendees will review mass murderers, “terrorist” murders, and school shooters. Based on diaries left behind by school shooters who died during their crimes, several themes will emerge: 1) Resentment of a “successful” group seen as receiving unjust rewards, 2) Poor treatment by this “successful” group, and 3) The role of vengeance for the poor treatment by this “successful” group. The role of paranoid delusional thinking in these crimes will be discussed, as interviews do not confirm maltreatment resembling what the shooters perceived. A working model for paranoia is put forth, incorporating genetic factors, attachment, peer relations, and hunger for fame.
Trainer Biographies
Don Dutton, PhD is Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. During the 15 years he spent providing therapy for court-mandated men convicted of wife assault, he developed a psychological model for perpetrators of intimate partner abuse. This clinical experience has driven Dr. Dutton to publish over 100 papers and five books, including the Domestic Assault of Women (1995), The Batterer: A Psychological Profile (1995), The Abusive Personality (2002), and Rethinking Domestic Violence (2006). Dr. Dutton has frequently served as an expert witness in criminal and civil trials involving domestic abuse and family violence, and has provided numerous workshops to professionals based on his work.
Learning Objectives
This training is designed to help you:
- Gain familiarity with high-profile mass shooters through case studies
- Improve understanding of paranoid thinking styles
- Develop the ability to apply paranoid models to mass shooters
- Encourage appreciation as to why psychopathy is contraindicated in school shootings