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How can we prevent acts of violence such as the mass shooting in Plymouth?

By:   []

Date: 2021-09

It is also worth noting that less than 1% of spree killings in the US are committed by women. At the risk of sounding blunt, this is predominantly a problem with young, white males. The element of misogyny cannot be ignored.

‘Mixed’ cases may demonstrate an interest in several (sometimes disparate) ideologies, often simultaneously. For example, a joint interest in extreme right-wing content and incel subcultures is not uncommon. In ‘unclear’ cases, ideological influences are less coherent, but individuals may be fixated with mass violence, such as school attacks, or the hatred of a perceived ‘other’, such as women.

‘Unstable’ cases refer to those who initially appear to adhere to one ideology but then switch to another. Unlikely as it may seem, I recall a number of individuals referred to Prevent for right-wing extremism, only to be re-referred months or years later for violent Islamist-inspired ideologies – and vice versa.

Lessons from Columbine

It seems tragically prescient that some months ago, during lockdown in the UK, I sought to unpick some of the issues around mixed, unclear and unstable ideologies when I ran a webinar, entitled ‘Reaching for Hope’, with Sue Klebold. Sue is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two gunmen responsible for the shootings on 20 April 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

Sadly, we know that Columbine was neither the first – and certainly not the last – mass shooting that has devastated the US, but somehow, more than any other, it continues to fascinate and inspire many young people around the world, including individuals who have been referred to Prevent.

The webinar contained numerous valuable lessons, and I was struck by the parallels between Sue’s heartbreaking personal experience in the US and many of the cases that are coming to the attention of Prevent in the UK. Some of these lessons bear repeating because families, friends and loved ones can often be well placed to spot the warning signs of radicalisation, extremism or even potential suicide and mass violence.

Sue believed that she was a good mother, that her kids would tell her everything and that her love for them would always be a protective factor. However, as she wrote in her book, ‘A Mother’s Reckoning’: “There is perhaps no harder truth for a parent to bear, but it is one that no parent on earth knows better than I do, and it is this: love is not enough. My love for Dylan, though infinite, did not keep Dylan safe, nor did it save the thirteen people killed at Columbine High School, or the many others injured and traumatized.”

Many of the warning signs that Sue acknowledges as being a factor in her son’s path towards horrific murder-suicide bear a close resemblance to the vulnerabilities and indicators that feature in Prevent training. Changes in behaviour; misuse of alcohol or drugs; less care with schoolwork; increased recklessness; isolation and withdrawal from family and society; obsession with cases such as Columbine; dehumanising others; giving unexpected gifts or giving away prized personal possessions; and even seemingly getting back on track and appearing happy following a period of depression – all these can be signs of a journey towards violence.

Sue also mentioned a joint US Secret Service and Department of Education report, which says that 78% of school shooters in the US are suicidal. Similarly, up to 70% of current Prevent referrals have complex mental health needs and require specialist support. I hesitate to say that we are in the midst of a full-blown mental health crisis in the UK, but it certainly feels like it sometimes.

Simply listen

So, what should friends and families do if they have concerns that a loved one may be radicalised, or immersed in a potentially violent ideology or subculture? UK counter-terrorism police have launched a website, actearly.uk, which specifically provides advice and guidance for people who find themselves in this situation. Understandably, Sue has agonised over what she could have done differently as a parent. Her advice to today’s parents is simply to listen.

As parents, relatives or friends, it is natural to want to help, to encourage our loved ones to feel better by providing them with solutions, perhaps sharing our own experiences (“I remember when I was your age”) or reassuring them (“But I think you’re beautiful”). Yet by doing so, we may actually be inadvertently minimising their experience.
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