School shootings pose a serious threat to the safety of children, adolescents, and educational staff within school environments. While such incidents are less common in Europe than in the United States, their increasing occurrence demands thorough analysis and interdisciplinary research. Understanding the causes of school shootings and identifying risk factors is crucial for developing effective prevention measures and security strategies that foster a safe and supportive learning environment. The aim of this master’s thesis is to provide a comprehensive examination of the causes and dynamics of school shootings. This will be achieved through a review of existing literature and research, focusing on psychological, sociological, and broader societal factors, as well as media portrayals of attacks and perpetrators. These findings will form the basis for the empirical section of the thesis, which will propose preventive measures and safety strategies to be implemented in the event of a violent incident in a school setting. The relevance of this topic, and consequently of the thesis, lies in both the rising number of school shootings and the lack of in-depth scientific and professional literature addressing this issue within the European context.
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