A new report shows a dramatic rise in violence on college campuses over the last 20 years. What similarities do those violent incidents share? 

According to a joint FBI/Education Department study, cases of targeted violence on college campuses rose from 40 during the 1980’s to 83 since 2000. The increase coincides with a major rise in student enrollment over the last two decades.

The next phase for the FBI/Education Department collaboration will research attackers’ past behavior and history of mental illness, to help campus threat assessment teams identify individuals whose behavior may indicate a future attack.

The report, released on the third anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, found:

• Intimate relationships were a motivating factor in one-third of attacks
• Academic stress was a factor in one in 10 attacks
• 60% of perpetrators were current or former students at the school where the violence took place
• Firearms were used in over half of incidents; knives or bladed weapons were used in 20%
• Over 90% of the attacks were committed by males, and
• Specific individuals were targeted in 75% of attacks, but sometimes random people were targeted in addition.

You can read the full report here.

What do you think of the findings? Offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

Tags: campus violence, Education Department, FBI