In Mysterious America, I have written about the sinister nature of the “name game.” There can be a bloody side to the name game, as well.

I’ve published some thoughts about this – as evidenced by the Ohio school shooting this week – in new blog over at the Copycat Effect site, here: “Cleveland’s Coon: A Columbine Copycat”. I am not shy about confronting the racial underpinnings in issues, so for those faint of heart about that topic, you won’t want to read that blog.

As many of you know, as a consultant and volunteer, I am involved in preventing and solving a significant Homo sapiens behavioral mystery – suicide-related school shootings. This has resulted in several talks and books, the most recent book being The Copycat Effect.

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For those that wish to hear my thoughts in this realm, there are two National Public Radio (NPR) programs with interviews with me, that were broadcast on October 6th and October 7th, a year ago. They should still be online for later downloads.

On the Media (from NPR)

October 6, 2006

“Picturing the Worst”

The assault this week in Pennsylvania’s Amish country was the sixth deadly school shooting in as many weeks. Media commentators are pointing to the possibility of a copycat effect, but few are examining the media’s own complicity therein. School violence researcher Loren Coleman tells Bob that a little more restraint on the part of the media wouldn’t hurt.

Weekend America (from NPR)

October 07, 2006

“Causes and Effects”

Were two school shootings in quick succession, one in Colorado and the other in Pennsylvania, related in some way? They shared several characteristics, but the towns were thousands of miles apart, with entirely different school communities, so it couldn’t be more than a coincidence, right? Not so, says school violence expert Loren Coleman. He’ll talk to us about why these acts of violence happen at certain times in the year, what the media effect is, and how the two recent school shootings are related to one another.