Webinar INFORMATION
How do we make sense of mass attackers? All too often we focus on things that happened to them: school shooters were bullied, workplace attackers were terminated, and so on. Yet, the overwhelming majority of people who experience such stressors do not become killers. Such explanations fail to consider who the people were that these things happened to. In other words, personality is often ignored as a factor in violence.
Though there is no profile of a mass attacker, there are common personality traits that occur in a wide range of perpetrators. One commonality is that they are psychologically fragile people with profound vulnerabilities. How these vulnerabilities manifest, however, varies dramatically. Using the work of Theodore Millon and other personality researchers, this presentation examines critical dynamics that shed light on the psychology of mass killers.
The presentation will begin with a brief overview of Millon's model of personality and how it differs from DSM-V-TR. Following this, several personality disorders will be discussed. Each will be illustrated through the writings of perpetrators, highlighting how the traits increase the risk of violence. Understanding the dynamics of these perpetrators can aid in identifying people who may be on the path of violence.
Participants who complete this activity will be able to:
- Explain the connection between psychological fragility and violent behavior
- Describe two personality processes which can lead to people becoming more prone to violence.
- List three personality disorders common in violent perpetrators.
3.0 Continuing Education Hours
with SPECIAL THANKS
Pennsylvania Psychological Association
This webinar is presented by a coalition of several
State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
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Peter Langman, PhD
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Dr. Peter Langman is a psychologist whose research on school shooters has received international recognition. His book, Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters, was translated into German, Dutch, Finnish, Russian, and Serbian. His work has been cited in congressional testimony on Capitol Hill and he has been interviewed over 600 times by media outlets in 35 countries.
After the Sandy Hook attack, the CEO of the American Psychological Association presented Dr. Langman’s recommendations on school safety to President Obama. He has presented at both the FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, and the FBI National Academy in Quantico. He has been an invited speaker at the National Counterterrorism Center and was hired by Homeland Security to train professionals in school safety. He has trained thousands of professionals in education, law enforcement, and mental health on the psychology of violent offenders.
Dr. Langman maintains the largest online collection of materials relating to school shooters at schoolshooters.info, including over 600 documents totaling 70,000 pages. His book, School Shooters: Understanding High School, College, and Adult Perpetrators was published in 2015. From 2018 to 2023 , Dr. Langman was a researcher with the National Threat Assessment Center of the United States Secret Service. His latest book is Warning Signs: Identifying School Shooters Before They Strike.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
1st hour |
Introduction to issues relating to explanations of causation of violence, relevant researchers and an overview of Theodore Millon's model of personality, and the perpetrators who will be discussed. Discussion of concept of "desperate identities" and the perpetrators' rejection of society.
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| 2nd hour |
Review of cases illustrating various manifestations of grandiosity and paranoia.
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| 3rd hour |
Review of cases demonstrating masochism and sadism.
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CONTINUING EDUCATION DETAILS
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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that APA CE rules require that we give credit to only those who attend the entire workshop. Partial credit is not available.
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This webinar is intended for post-doctorate-level psychologists and is introductory. Psychology graduate students and other licensed health and mental health providers are welcome to attend.
The event is sponsored by the Idaho Psychological Association. The Idaho Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Idaho Psychological Association maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
Psychologists
A total of 3.0 continuing education credits are available to psychologists for full attendance of this event. No partial CE credit is available for this event.
Other health/mental health professionals
This activity provides a total of 3.0 contact hours. Attendance letters will be provided. Contact your licensing board or professional association for your specific CE requirements.
Questions/Grievances
IMPORTANT INFO ON
ATTENDANCE VERIFICATION & MORE
This activity will be held via Zoom. Your attendance will be verified electronically by your logging-on/off of Zoom.
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thank you for your interest
in this event!