HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | REVIEW ARTICLE Research quality and psychological theory in publications on school shooters with multiple victims - A systematic review of the literature

1,2 Abstract: School shooting homicide events generate considerable attention. A sub- stantial number of research reports have tried to explain the phenomenon. However, the outcome of these studies has produced a conflicting picture of the issue. Our systematic review explored the quality of research in publications on school shooters. Research quality was assessed concerning description of design, method and inter- pretation of results according to PRISMA and CRD criteria. We investigated evidence of the impact of psychological theories on how research was designed and interpret- ed. A total of 10 papers met the criteria for inclusion in the review. With a few excep- tions, the research quality was low. Only three studies contained a separate methods section. Two out of ten studies reported from an interview with a school shooter. Secondary sources such as school, hospital and/or psychological evaluations were used in four studies, while the rest had only applied tertiary data sources. There was a void of psychological theoretical analysis to inform the creation of relevant research designs. No study discussed psychological theories to inform inference from empiri- cal data to conclusion. Higher quality of research and enhanced focus on theoretical understanding of psychological factors in school shooting are called upon. Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Criminal Behaviour and Forensic Psychology; Forensic Psychiatry