Psychology and psychopathology of overvalue hobby schoolshooing ideas. The case of Katerina and Yakov

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon of extremely valuable passion for the ideas of school shooting (mass shootings in educational institutions). The case of 16-year-old Katerina and her 18-year-old friend Yakov, who were referred to psychiatrists after discovering preparations to commit a crime and activity in searching for information on the Internet about school shooting, is described. Since childhood, Katerina has been under the care of psychiatrists for mental, intellectual and speech development delays. She has been on disability since the age of 18 and has a history of playing games simulating murder and violence. The article examines the psychopathological and psychological factors that contributed to the formation of an extremely valuable passion for the ideas of school shooting among the surveyed. The article highlights the lack of seriousness and lack of concern displayed by Katerina and Yakov towards the issue of school shootings. Their tendency to joke about this topic and express sympathy for the perpetrators is also highlighted. The emphasis is placed on the careless, frivolous attitude of Katerina and Yakov to the problem of mass murders in schools, their tendency to joke about these topics and show sympathy for the killers. It is concluded that “understanding” the feelings of school shooters, the infantile desire to make something “cool” out of any life event, create a meme, laugh at something that is not customary to laugh at (“ethical inversion”) should be recognized as fertile ground for the formation extremely valuable passion for the ideas of school shooting, without the destruction of which it is impossible to cope with future tragedies in educational institutions.

Keywords

school shooting / overvalued hobbies / xenophobia / psychology of deviant behavior / infantilism

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