TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2009//
TI  - A survey of perceptions of the Virginia Tech tragedy
JO  - Journal of school violence
A1  - Fallon, Marianne
A1  - Austad, Carol Shaw
A1  - Fallahi, Carolyn R.
A1  - Leishman, Lisa
SP  - 120
EP  - 135
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
N2  - The recent shootings at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) shocked the nation and brought violence on college campuses to the forefront of the nation's attention. We surveyed college students and faculty/staff three weeks after the incident about their perceptions of the Virginia Tech shooting, subsequent media exposure, and school violence in general. We found that students agreed with faculty/staff that mental illness and a lack of friendship were likely causal factors in the shootings. Students believed that social support, friendship, good mental health, and parenting were important factors in preventing subsequent incidents. We also found that media exposure and time spent discussing the incident with family and friends were associated with increased psychiatric symptoms. Gender differences were observed in the domains of fearing for personal safety, perceptions of increased parental concern, the role of violent media, and the need for gun control.<p />
LA  - en
SN  - 1538-8220
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15388220802074017
ID  - ref1
ER  -