From Abrams Press, THE VIOLENCE PROJECT published on September 7, 2021. Order your copy here.
Using data from the writers’ groundbreaking research on mass shooters, including first-person accounts from the perpetrators themselves, THE VIOLENCE PROJECT charts new pathways to prevention and innovative ways to stop the social contagion of violence. Frustrated by reactionary policy conversations that never seemed to convert into meaningful action, special investigator and psychologist Jill Peterson and sociologist James Densley built The Violence Project, the first comprehensive database of mass shooters. For the first time, instead of offering thoughts and prayers for the victims of these crimes, Peterson and Densley share their data-driven solutions for exactly what we must do, at the individual level, in our communities, and as a country, to put an end to these tragedies that have defined our modern era.
Check out Peterson and Densley’s comprehensive database of mass shooters.
Listen to Peterson and Densley’s insights into their research on Smart Talk.
Read Mark Keierleber’s review of THE VIOLENCE PROJECT in Yahoo News.
Buzz for THE VIOLENCE PROJECT:
“Reading The Violence Project is like having the lights turned on in a dark stadium. Jillian Peterson and James Densley illuminate for us the darkest corners of our violent predilections. They’ve told us what to do; the rest is up to us. Groundbreaking!” —Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises
“If you ever wondered how can we stop mass shootings, this is the book for you. By mixing compelling first-person interviews with mass shooters and significant data analysis,The Violence Project illustrates the tangible ways we can intervene and prevent a tragedy from occurring.No one is helpless – read this book and help stop violence before it starts.” —Nicole Hockley, co-founder and Managing Director, Sandy Hook Promise
“A bracing compilation of mass shooter profiles and first-person accounts from violent criminals… A multifaceted study that is alternately horrifying, depressing, and even hopeful…A distressing, critical study in the understanding, processing, and prevention of mass-casualty gun violence.” – Kirkus
“Insightful and cautiously optimistic… the authors’ nuanced portraits of mass shooters buttress the case that these tragedies ‘are not an inevitable fact of American life; they’re preventable.’ This is a sensitive and knowledgeable treatment of one of America’s most vexing social problems.” – Publishers Weekly
“This is a thorough, groundbreaking work that attempts to understand mass shootings and ways to prevent them. A gripping book that will captivate anyone seeking to understand why mass shootings occur and what might be done to recognize and intervene with potential shooters before they act.” – Library Journal, starred review
About the Authors:
Dr. Jillian Peterson is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Hamline University. Jill launched her career as a special investigator in New York City, researching the psycho-social life histories of men facing the death penalty. Jill has led large-scale research studies on mental illness and crime, school shooting prevention, and mass violence, which have received national media attention. She is a sought-after national trainer and speaker on issues related to mental illness and violence, trauma, forensic psychology, and mass violence. Jill earned her Doctorate in psychology and social behavior from the University of California, Irvine. She is trained in restorative justice, violence mediation, crisis intervention, de-escalation, and suicide prevention.
Born and raised in England, Dr. James Densley is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University, part of the Minnesota State system. James first moved to the United States to teach special education in the New York City public schools. After earning his Doctorate in sociology from the University of Oxford, he quickly established himself as one of the world’s leading experts on street gangs and serious youth violence, including cyber violence. James’ work has attracted global media attention. He has been an invited or plenary speaker on three continents. James is the author of seven books, 50 peer-reviewed articles in leading social science journals, and over 70 book chapters, essays, and other non-refereed works.