Why Kids Kill

Inside the Minds of School Shooters

By: Peter Langman PhD

Narrated by: Matthew Josdal

Ten years after the school massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, school shootings are a new and alarming epidemic. While sociologists have attributed the trigger of violence to peer pressure, such as bullying and social isolation, prominent psychologist Peter Langman, argues here that psychological causes are responsible.

Drawing on 20 years of clinical experience, Langman offers surprising reasons for why some teens become violent. Langman divides shooters into three categories, and he discusses the role of personality, trauma, and psychosis among school shooters.

From examining the material evidence of notorious school shooters at Columbine and Virginia Tech to addressing the mental states of the violent youths he treats, Langman shows how to identify early signs of homicide-prone youth and what preventive measures educators, parents, and communities can take to protect themselves from the tragedy.

Contains mature themes.

©2009 Peter Langman, PhD (P)2018 Tantor

Very little inflection

It was a bit hard to follow without having it in front of you but overall a good read.

Reader is annoying

This reader’s voice and intonation made the book very hard to enjoy. His over pronouncing of words is grating.

Excellent!

A must read for anyone who enjoys studying school shooters. Excellent read for school officials.

Interesting, but frustrating.

Interesting points and information. I was annoyed to know end by the overuse of the word “thus” along with the way the narrator held vowel sounds in short words such as “thus” and “but”… both of which were frequently used. The way charts were read made them impossible to understand unless you write down the columns and rows as they’re read.

Beyond Fascinating!!

I wouldn't have read this book if the author didn't have his P.H.D in psychology and history of evaluation violent children. Mr. Lyman does an incredible job going into the minds and histories of school shooters ranging all over the timeliness of history. He breaks down characteristics, interactions these scarred souls had with they're peers and family, he also identifies many personality types and disorders which I had to listen to twice it was so fascinating!! Remarkably Amazing book written by someone who has first hand boots on the ground experiences with these types of people. Read this book!

Really Fascinating Read!

It was a really fascinating read! I feel that I learned a lot about these situations!

Excellent

This book was so engaging and fascinating. A must read for parents, teachers and school counselors!

Great Book Bad Narration

This book is great. Has a lot of good information and it’s quite interesting. The narrator bugs me though. Very monotone and strange. I can’t really describe it. If you can look past that then I highly recommend this one!

better paired w/nonfiction school shooting book

it's an interesting book, in that it dissects to whatever degree, or limited degree, several child school shooters. this book might be better paired with other books of the school shootings, to give the reader a bigger picture (i.e. read the columbine books along with the sections of this book that deals with columbine).
it is my opinion, that even with the most intelligent insightful mind, and the best psychological degree, all the experience of interviewing and dissecting murders (child or not), you may never get to the truth of why someone does what they do. not just because of your own ability to understand and perceive but also because the individuals themselves may not really comprehend, or be able to bring into consciousness the "WHY" of it. added to that mix, is the ability to deceive, shade truths, or choose not to divulge.

Too much about Columbine

I thought this would be about others post Columbine. At least the beginning of every chapter goes on and on about Eric Harris. We all know every detail about him I was hoping for some insight through others but was dis a pointed. But still I listened from start to finish so it does keep ones attention.