How to Reduce Copycat Violence After a Mass Shooting

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James N. Meindl and Jonathan W. Ivy (2017) investigated the role of the media in sparking the “contagion” effect after a mass shooting, which they define as the phenomenon of one mass shooting increasing the likelihood of another occurring within a short amount of time.¹ They recognized that the ways media outlets report events can increase the likelihood of imitation.

Meindl and Ivy note that mass shootings typically generate extensive media coverage, which includes an image of the shooter and the details of their crime, as well as any manifesto they left, and often their life story—all of which can directly influence imitation. They note that public notoriety can elevate social status, and images of shooters aiming guns at the camera “project an air of danger and toughness.” They also note that detailing the life of the shooter stimulates perceived similarities between the shooter and others, which may cause others to identify with the murderer. And they note that describing details about fulfilled manifestos and body count reports could draw even more attention to the violent act and present an air of competence. But there are ways the media can fight back.

Promoting Responsible Reporting

Meindl and Ivy list a number of strategies to minimize copycat shootings, suggested by research on generalized imitation:

• Portraying mass shooting as shameful. Showcasing a shooter’s acts of planning and preparing the shooting as “shameful or cowardly,” and linking a shooter’s behavior with punishment, can reduce copycat behavior.
• Removing rationale. Avoiding detailed descriptions of a shooter’s rationale, such as a response to years of bullying, can avoid the likelihood of someone imitating the behavior of another whom they perceive as similar. Similarly, if media reporting portrays a shooter’s actions as revenge, it may unintentionally suggest a mass shooting as a possible way to respond to a stressor.
• Shortening time length of coverage. A third strategy involves minimizing the duration of news coverage after a mass shooting. Meindl and Ivy note that as related to reported suicides, a “dose–response” relationship has been shown when increased media coverage results in an increase in imitational suicides. They suggest that a similar effect might account for imitation after a mass shooting.
• Suppressing sensationalism. It is important for news outlets to present only the facts, rather than “entertaining or dramatic digital re-creations” of the carnage. Meindl and Ivy note that the media should attempt to reduce the frenzied energy and emotion of a story that is “breaking news,” aiming instead to streamline the bare facts in a fashion that is straightforward, and perhaps even “dull” in an effort to minimize interest in the event.
• Minimizing details. Showcasing detailed accounts of a shooter’s actions, either verbally or through graphical presentations, may provide information that could facilitate imitation. Meindl and Ivy suggest reporting only the details necessary to describe the event because the less behavior is described, the lower the likelihood it will be imitated.

Working together, we can promote responsible reporting that educates the public, enhances situational awareness, and decreases the possibility of promoting similar behavior.