From Huck Finn to Columbine:
Understanding Disruptive Behaviors and Psychopathy
in Children and Adolescents
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies
College of Arts & Sciences
Autumn 2015
Thursdays, 2:00pm to 4:45pm
BOBS LL 150
Professor
Teaching Assistant
Blake Phillips, MD
Patricia Acosta
Email: phillb06@nyu.edu
Email: pa707@nyu.edu
Phone: 646-501-4164
Phone: 347-257-8458
Course Description:
What makes kids do bad things? Who is accountable for their acts? How can we prevent childhood
violence? In this course we will explore these questions and seek to understand the spectrum of "bad"
behavior from biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives. We will address broad topics ranging
from the nature vs. nurture debate to biased media reporting to medicating disruptive behaviors. We will
examine the increase in media violence and its influence on children and adolescents; how the criminal
justice system responds to delinquent behavior; and gender differences in disruptive behavior. We will study
atrocities perpetrated by children and adolescents, the growing scientific literature detailing
neurodevelopment as it relates to behavior, and historical descriptions of disruptive behavior and
delinquency. Students will analyze case studies, debate controversial issues (e.g., the influence of violent
gaming), and review scientific and media sources in an effort to determine sensible efforts aimed at
prevention and treatment.
Course Objectives:
Students will learn key aspects of:
•
•
•
•
Historical, scientific, and cultural perspectives on behavioral problems in childhood
Contemporary biological, psychological, and social perspectives on childhood disruptive behavior
Current evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of disruptive behavior disorders in children
The impact of disruptive behavior in children and adolescents on the individual, family and society
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
•
•
•
•
Review and integrate diverse theoretical perspectives on childhood disruptive behavior
Apply and discuss concepts of disruptive behavior as directly related to current events and clinical case
material
Discuss controversies and limitations in our current understanding of childhood disruptive behavior
Describe goals for further study and research
Texts:
1. Hill, J., & Maughan, B (Eds). (2001) Conduct disorders in childhood and adolescence. Cambridge, U.K.:
Cambridge University Press. Available in the bookstore and as an Ebook through Bobst Library.
2. Connor, D.F. (2002) Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents.New York: The
Guilford Press. Available in the bookstore.
Readings from these texts will be supplemented by readings posted on the course site at NYU Classes
(http://newclasses.nyu.edu) as listed below.
Grading:
Your class grade will be composed of:
•
20% Participation: Weekly Quizzes
o
In-class quizzes will be given based on the main themes from the pre-readings for that week’s session. The
weekly “Learning Objectives and Terms to Know” guide your preparation for these quizzes. Most classes
will begin with a quiz promptly at 2:00PM, lasting ~10 minutes.
§
5%: You will receive full credit for 5% of your total quiz grade for handing in a completed quiz by the end of
each ~10 minute quiz period. You may drop one quiz without penalty as there are no make-up quizzes and
quizzes handed in after the ~10 minute quiz period will not be accepted for credit.
§
10%: After taking the quiz individually, you will then retake the same quiz in assigned Teams in class as part
of a Team-Based Learning format. You will receive a Team quiz grade based on how many correct answers
your Team gets; this will make up 10% of your total quiz grade.
§
5%: You will provide anonymous peer feedback about each of your Team members midway through the
course. This will be collected by the TA via email and de-identified so the feedback from the group can then
be provided to individual Team members anonymously. This is formative feedback to help you improve your
group performance; you will receive full credit (2.5%) simply for providing feedback. At the end of the
course, you will again rate each of your Team members anonymously and this final peer feedback only (not
midterm feedback) will be averaged to contribute the remaining 2.5% of each person’s total quiz grade.
•
20% Response Papers
o
Five 2-3 page papers or projects in which course themes are applied to problems in sociology, law, clinical
psychology, public policy, etc. See writing and grading guidelines below. Papers will be submitted to
TurnItIn services via the NYU Classes Course Site in order to insure Academic Integrity.
•
25% Midterm Examination
o
Online, timed, open-book exam applying foundational course themes to clinical case material. A brief review
will be conducted during the class prior to the midterm.
•
35% Final Examination
o
Online, timed, open-book exam applying foundational and topical course themes to clinical case material. A
brief review will be conducted during the class prior to the final.
•
Extra-Credit: For up to 3 extra-credit points added to your Midterm Examination score, you may turn in a
Disruptive Behavior Journal at the end of the course. You must submit at least 14 entries describing
disruptive behaviors you observe (in yourself, friends, family, strangers, the media, or anyone!). You must
reference themes AND a source(s) from the course or related materials in each entry in order to receive the
extra credit (see citation rules below). Entries need not be more than 2-3 paragraphs each.
Class Schedule:
Readings for each lecture will be posted on NYU Classes by the week prior to class. You will be expected to
have completed the readings before class and the main points of the readings will be covered in the quizzes
given at the start of each class (see schedule below).
1.
a.
Week 1: Introduction to Disruptive Behaviors in Childhood &
Adolescence
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Applebaum, A. (2010). “The strange comforts of reading Mark Twain in the age of oppositional defiant
disorder.” Slate.
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, pages 17-34 of the original text (Chapters I, II, III).
Cleckley, Hervey. The Mask of Sanity, pp. 64-70. The case of Tom (pp. 80-86 in the PDF).
Cullen, D. Columbine. Pp. 111-114, 125-129, 134-137, 146-148, 160-165, 173-175.
Optional:
5.
2.
a.
Cullen, D. Columbine. 182-188, 196-202, 214-221, 234-236.
Week 2: Historical Perspectives on Childhood Disruptive Behaviors
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chapter 1, Bad Behavior: A historical perspective on problems of conduct (in text book Conduct Disorders
in Childhood and Adolescence pp. 1-31 (Hill and Maughan, editors) available in the bookstore and as an
Ebook through Bobst Library.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) descriptions of Disruptive Behavior Disorders
from DSMI through DSM5.
"Criminal man, According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso." Lombroso, C., Gibson, M., & Rafter,
N. H. (2006). Criminal man. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Cleckley, Hervey. The Mask of Sanity, “What is wrong with these patients?” pp. 367-376.
5.
Watch The Bad Seed. 1956. Dir. by Mervyn LeRoy. Available on Amazon, Netflix, iTunes. Note in this
historical period how the protagonist’s disruptive behavior is portrayed: what is normal vs. pathological?
What are the implied origins of bad behavior? What perpetuates bad behavior? Who is responsible for
children’s bad behavior? What treatments are suggested?
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
a.
b.
Ronson, J. The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry. “Chapter 3: Psychopaths Dream
in Black and White.” An excerpt from Ronson’s book on psychopathy and the PCL, it describes some of the
history of attempts at treatment for psychopathy.
Excerpt from: Aichhorn, August. Wayward youth. Chapter 3. New York: Viking Press, 1965.
Week 3: Presentation and Course of Juvenile Disruptive Behaviors
Response Paper #1 Due: Please submit your paper to TurnItIn via the NYU Classes Course Site (under
Assignments) by 2:00PM.
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chapter 1: "Definitions and Subtyping of Aggressive Behavior” in the Connor textbook, Aggression and
Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents.
Frick PJ & Viding E. (2009) Antisocial behavior from a developmental psychopathology perspective.
Development and Psychopathology, 2009 Fall; 21(4): 1111-1131. Only read pp. 1111-1116.
Ronson, J. The Psychopath Test. Pp. 92-118. A description of the development and implementation of Robert
Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist.
Tremblay RE et al. (2004) Physical Aggression during Early Childhood: Trajectories and Predictors.
Pediatrics, 2004; 114, e43-e50. Only read the introduction and discussion sections.
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
4.
a.
Recommended: Listen to the segment, “The Psychopath Test,” from NPR, posted on the course sidebar.
This is a lighthearted take on the development and use of Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/436/the-psychopath-test
Recommended: Kahn, J. (2012, May 11). Can you call a 9-year-old a psychopath? NY Times Magazine.
Watch The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999, dir. Anthony Minghella), based on the Patricia Highsmith novel.
From The Mask of Sanity (Hervey Cleckley), the cases of "Roberta" (pp. 46-54), "Milt" (pp. 159-167) and
"Gregory" (pp. 167-174).
Hare, R. (1999). Without Conscience, Chapter 10, "The Roots of the Problem."
Robins, L. (1966). Deviant children grown up: a sociological and psychiatric study of sociopathic
personality. Chapter 3: Patients and control subjects at time of follow-up. Focus on the tables here, rather
than the text.
Week 3: The Biological Basis of Childhood Disruptive Behaviors
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Matthys W, Vanderschuren L, & Schutter D. “The neurobiology of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct
disorder: Altered functioning in three mental domains.” Development & Psychopathology 25 (2013): 193207.
Caspi et al. “Role of Genotype in the Cycle of Violence of Maltreated Children”: A landmark study in
epigenetics research.
Read the NY Times editorial describing the research from Anderson et al. (full citation below). Blakeslee, S.
“Study Links Antisocial Behavior to Early Brain Injury That Bars Learning.” NY Times, October 19, 1999.
An editorial discussion of the research by Gao et al. (full citation below). Sterzer, P. “Born to Be Criminal?
What to Make of Early Biological Risk Factors for Criminal Behavior.” American Journal of Psychiatry.
167:1, January 2010.
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
5.
a.
b.
In the posted excerpt from Blair’s The Psychopath: Emotion and the Brain, read pages 72-79 (Chapter 5,
dysfunctional fear and violence inhibition models) and pages 84-91 (Chapter 6, frontal lobe dysfunction
hypothesis). Blair, J., Mitchell, D. R., & Blair, K. (2005). The psychopath: emotion and the brain. Malden,
MA: Blackwell.
Gao et al. “Association of Poor Childhood Fear Conditioning and Adult Crime.” Am J Psychiatry 167:1
(2010): 1-3. For the original article, focus on the Introduction and Conclusions sections. Editorial discussion
of the article included above.
Anderson, Steven; Bechara, Antoine; Damasio, Hanna; Tranel, Daniel; and Damasio, Antonio. "Impairment
of social and moral behavior related to early damage in human prefrontal cortex." Nature Neuroscience 2.11
(1999): 1032-37. Here, focus on the case studies and Discussion from the original article (NY Times
editorial describing the research included above).
Suomi, S. “Risk, Resilience, and Gene-Environment Interplay in Primates”: This is an overview of important
research on epigenetics.
In the Connor textbook, Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents, read chapter 6
(Psychobiology), only these pages: 163-168 (neuroanatomy, IQ), 171-182 (frontal lobes, electrodermal
activity, heart rate) and pages 191-196 (pain sensitivity, brain imaging, minor physical anomalies).
Also in Connor, read chapter 7 (Neurobiology), only these pages 197-206 (cortisol, androgens) and 225-244
(biobehavioral systems model, traumatic stress, brain injury, epilepsy).
Capadoccia et al. “Contextualizing the neurobiology of conduct disorder in an emotion dysregulation
framework”: This is a recent general review of biological factors in conduct disorder. The introduction and
discussion sections have the most useful information and ideas.
See Hyde et al. “Understanding youth antisocial behavior using neuroscience through a developmental
psychopathology lens: Review, integration, and directions for research.” pp. 201-203 for a concise up-to-date
summary of neuroimaging studies of youth antisocial behavior.
See Hill & Maughan text pp. 79-94 for further explanation of the role of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides,
and testosterone. Pp. 204-227 for a more detailed description of twin and adoption studies. Pp. 235-250 for a
more detailed description of neuropsychologic deficits (executive functioning, verbal IQ) and theories to
explain this.
Week 4: The Social Ecology of Childhood Disruptive Behavior
Response Paper #2 Due: Please submit your paper to TurnItIn via the NYU Classes Course Site (under
Assignments) by 2:00PM.
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
Code of the Streets. Anderson, E. (1994). The Atlantic.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Keisner, J. et al. Chapter 10. A reinforcement model of conduct problems in children and adolescents:
advances in theory and intervention. In Hill, J., & Maughan, B (Eds.). Conduct disorders in childhood and
adolescence (Read only pp 264-271 and 273-277; the rest of the chapter is optional though
recommended.)
Watch the movie NEDS (Non-Educated Delinquents) by director Peter Mullan with particular attention to
sociologic factors influencing the protagonist’s disruptive behaviors. Available on Amazon, Netflix, etc.
Textbook (Hill and Maughan, eds.) Chapter 16. The prevention of conduct disorder. Only pp. 459-460 and
461-464. (Perry Preschool Study, Elmira Home Visitation and Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study)
Textbook (Hill and Maughan, eds.) Chapter 15. Treatment of conduct disorders. Only pp. 413-420. Parent
Management Training.
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
a.
b.
Recommended: Stern, Jessica. "Flights of Fancy; Many Muslim Youth Espouse Jihad as a Fad." Globe and
Mail, June 12, 2006.
Recommended: Do Parents Matter? Lehrer, Jonah. Scientific American Mind 20.4 (2009).
Recommended: Velasquez-Manoff, Moises. “What happens when the poor receive a stipend?” NY Times
January 18, 2014.
Maughan, B. (2001) Chapter 7. Conduct Disorder in Context. In Hill, J., & Maughan, B (Eds.). Conduct
disorders in childhood and adolescence (pp 169 to 201).
Week 5: The Psychology of Juvenile Disruptive Behaviors
Quiz
In-Class Midterm Examination Review and Feedback
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
a.
Guttman-Steinmetz S and Crowell JA. (2006) Attachment and Externalizing Disorders: A Developmental
Psychopathology Perspective. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45(4): 440451.
Thomas A and Chess S. (1984) Genesis and Evolution of Behavioral Disorders: From Infancy to Early Adult
Life. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141(1): 1-9.
Chapter 11 in the Hill and Maughan (Eds). Pettit GS, Polaha JA, and Mize J, "Perceptual and Attributional
Processes in Aggression and Conduct Problems" (pp. 292-294 and 301-311 only).
Listen to the entire NPR segment included on the course site sidebar labeled “Attachment Therapy.”
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/317/unconditional-love
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Kochanska, G. and Aksan, N. “Children’s conscience and self-regulation.” Journal of personality, 74:6,
2006.
Grant, Adam. “Raising a moral child.” NY Times, April 11, 2014.
Watch Rebel Without A Cause (dir. Nicholas Ray, 1955), considering psychoanalytic explanations for the
conflicts expressed by the 3 main characters Jim, Judy, and Plato.
Chapter 4, “The psychopathic individual: The functional impairment.” In Blair, J., Mitchell, D., Blair, K. The
Psychopath: Emotion and the Brain (2005). Read pp. 47-62.
“Sigmund Freud and the classical psychoanalytic tradition,” from Freud and Beyond by Stephen Mitchell
and Margaret Black.
Excerpt from: Aichhorn, August. Wayward youth. New York: Viking Press, 1965.
7.
7.
a.
8.
a.
b.
Bird, H. (2001). “Psychoanalytic Perspectives on theories regarding the development of antisocial behavior.”
Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis.
Week 6: Midterm Examination (via NYU Classes)
No readings or quiz
Week 7: Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Disruptive Behavior
Response Paper #3 Due: Please submit your paper to TurnItIn via the NYU Classes Course Site (under
Assignments) by 2:00PM.
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Haley, J. Ordeal Therapy. Chapter 10: I want my rubber band. Pp. 155-174.
Bustamante. Treating the disruptive adolescent. Chapter 2: ODD as two minds at odds. Pp. 28-50.
Fasulo SJ, Ball DM, Jurkovic GJ, Miller AL. Adapting trauma treatment for incarcerated adolescents.
American Journal of Psychotherapy (in press), 2015.
Nelson-Grey RO et al. A modified skills training program for oppositional defiant adolescents: promising
preliminary findings. Behavior Research and Therapy, 2006.
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
9.
a.
"Criminal man, According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso." Lombroso, C., Gibson, M., & Rafter,
N. H. (2006). Criminal man. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Pp. 153-167.
Connor textbook, Chapters 11 (Psychosocial Interventions) and 12 (Psychopharmacological Treatments)
Bustamante. Treating the disruptive adolescent. Chapter 1: Thinking developmentally. Pp. 3-25.
Week 8: The Role of Contemporary Media in Juvenile Disruptive
Behavior
Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
“Media Violence,” In Chapter 5 “Risk and Protective Factors,” In Connor, D.F. (2002) Aggression and
Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents, pp. 154-158.
Jones, G. Violent media is good for kids. Mother Jones.
Adam, L. (2011). “Justices Reject Ban on Violent Video Games.” NY Times.
(2009). Policy Statement—Media Violence. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1495-1503.
Huesmann, L. (2007). The Impact Of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory And Research. Journal
of Adolescent Health, 41(6), S6-S13.
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
Ferguson, CJ; San Miguel, CS; Garza, A; Jerabeck, JM. “A longitudinal test of video game violence
influences on dating and aggression: A 3-year longitudinal study of adolescents.” Journal of Psychiatric
Research, 46 (2012), 141-146. Focus on the Introduction and Discussion sections.
Browne, K., & Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. (2005). “The Influence Of Violent Media On Children And
Adolescents: A Public-health Approach.” The Lancet, 365(9460), 702-710.
Ferguson, C., & Kilburn, J. (2010). “Much Ado About Nothing: The Misestimation and Overinterpretation of
Violent Video Game Effects in Eastern and Western Nations: Comment on Anderson et al.” (2010).
Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 174-78.
10. Week 9: Gender and Youthful Disruptive Behavior
a. Response Paper #4 Due: Please submit your paper to TurnItIn via the NYU Classes Course Site (under
Assignments) by 2:00PM.
b. Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chapter 9, "Issues in Female Aggression and Related Behaviors," In Connor, D.F. (2002) Aggression and
Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents. New York: The Guilford Press; pp. 270-301.
Excerpt from Odd Girl Out, chapter 4: Simmons, Rachel. Odd girl out: the hidden culture of aggression in
girls. New York: Harcourt, 2002.
Excerpt from Real Boys, chapter 1: Pollack, William. Real boys: Rescuing our sons from the myths of
boyhood. New York: Holt, 1998.
Cleckley, Hervey. The Mask of Sanity, pp. 102-121. The case of Anna (pp. 118-137 in the PDF).
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
Recommended: Watch the films Heathers (1988) and/or Mean Girls (2004), noting examples of stereotypic
girl aggression.
Comings, DE et al. Parent-daughter transmission of the androgen receptor gene as an explanation of the
effect of father absence on age of menarche. Child Development, 73(4): 1046-51. Focus on the Introduction
and Discussion sections.
Hipwell, A. E., & Loeber, R. (2006). “Do we know which interventions are effective for disruptive and
delinquent girls?” Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 9(3/4), doi: 10.1007—update?
11. Week
a. Quiz
10: Disruptive Behavior in the School Setting
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
i.
ii.
Olweus, Dan. Bullying at school: what we know and what we can do. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1993.
(excerpt)
Listen to the 2-part NPR segment posted on the course site sidebar and labeled School Violence and School
Violence II. This describes the effects of gang violence on a Chicago high school.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/487/harper-high-school-part-one
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/488/harper-high-school-part-two
3.
Watch the film, Bully (2011), directed by Lee Hirsch and/or Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996), directed by
Todd Solondz. Compare the portrayals of bullies, victims, and bully-victims.
Optional:
1.
2.
3.
a.
4.
a.
b.
5.
6.
"Restorative Justice Programs Take Root in Schools." The New York Times. 11 Sept. 2013.
A series of media articles about bullying and prevention, posted on NYU Classes for your reference: “Forget
Goofing Around, Recess Has a New Boss;” “Gossip Girls and Boys Get Lessons in Empathy;” “Stopping
Bullying;” “Teaching Teenagers About Harrassment.”
Listen to the 3rd NPR segment on the course site sidebar from the episode entitled, "The Cruelty of
Children"—the segment to listen to is Act 3: Human Nature, A View from Kindergarten.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/27/the-cruelty-of-children
Check out these sites on bullying prevention and education:
http://positiveschooldiscipline.promoteprevent.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d1_ZKlLR98 (further details the story of Alex Libby from the film
Bully
Fredland, N. Nurturing hostile environments: the problem of school violence. Family & Community Health,
3(1S), S32-S41.
Klomek, Anat, Andre Sourander, Solja Niemela, Kirsti Kumpulainen, Jorma Piha, Tuula Tamminen, Fredrik
Almqvist, and Madelyn Gould . "Childhood Bullying Behaviors as a Risk for Suicide Attempts and
Completed Suicides: A Population-Based Birth Cohort Study." Journal of the American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry, 48.3 (2009): 254-61. Focus on the introduction and conclusion of this article.
12. Week 11: Disruptive Behavior and the Law
a. Response Paper #5 Due: Please submit your paper to TurnItIn via the NYU Classes Course Site (under
Assignments) by 2:00PM.
b. Quiz
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Steinberg, L. (2009). Adolescent Development And Juvenile Justice. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology,
5(1), 459-485.
Prologue through Chapter 2 from Humes, E. (1996). No matter how loud I shout: a year in the life of
Juvenile Court. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Bosman, Julie. “For 800 youths jailed by state, not one full-time psychiatrist.” NY Times. Feb 11, 2010.
Textbook (Hill and Maughan, eds.) Chapter 15. Treatment of conduct disorders. Only pp. 423-428. MST &
FFT
Optional:
1.
2.
13.
Recommended: Hartwell et al. “I grew up too fast for my age:” Postdischarge issues and experiences of
male juvenile offenders. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. 49:7, 2010. Pp. 495-515. Focus on the
Background, Results, and Discussion sections.
Grisso, T. (2007). Progress and Perils in the Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Movement. The journal of
the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 35, 158-67.
Week 12: Thanksgiving! (No Class)
14. Week 13: Dramatic Acts of Violence in Youth
a. In-Class Final Examination Review
b. Disruptive Behavior Journals Due. Please submit your journal to TurnItIn via the NYU Classes Course Site
(under Assignments) by 2:00PM.
Pre-Reading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Adolescent Mass Murder; Meloy, J. Reid, Anthony G. Hempel, Kris Mohandie, Andrew A. Shiva, and B.
Thomas Gray. "Offender and Offense Characteristics of a Nonrandom Sample of Adolescent Mass
Murderers." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 40.6 (2001): 719-28. Print.
“Parricide and Psychopathy.” Myers, W. C., & Vo, E. J. (2011).
Weisbrot, Deborah. Prelude to a School Shooting? Assessing Threatening Behaviors in Childhood and
Adolescence. J of Amer Acad Child & Adol Psychiatry, 47:8, Aug 2008.
O'Toole, M. E. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). The school shooter: A
threat assessment perspective. Washington D.C. Read pp. 5-14.
Choose one of the following films to watch depicting a Dramatic Act of Violence perpetrated by youths:
Elephant (Gus Van Sant, 2003, a fictionalized depiction of a school shooting similar to the events at
Columbine), We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011, based on the novel by Lionel Shriver), or
Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, 1994, a dramatized version of an actual parricidal event). Focus on the
biopsychosocial factors depicted as contributing to each act of violence with consideration of who would
have been best positioned to intervene.
Optional:
1.
2.
a.
3.
4.
A Clockwork Orange. Available on Netflix, Amazon, iTunes. Watch Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film, focusing
on how the intervention to correct Alex’s disruptive behavior is designed and implemented. What principles
are involved and where does it succeed and fail?
Recommended: Anderson, Scott. Greg Ousley Is Sorry for Killing His Parents. Is That Enough? NY Times
Magazine, 7/19/12. On the course site sidebar and under Resources.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/magazine/greg-ousley-is-sorry-for-killing-his-parents-is-thatenough.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
O'Toole, M. E. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). The school shooter: A
threat assessment perspective. Washington D.C. Recommended pp. 25-30. The rest of the report is
informative as well.
Jones, A. “The girls who tried to kill for Slender Man.” Newsweek, 8/3/14. An overview of a recent juvenile
murder attempt tied to media influence; the article contextualizes this related to other female juvenile
dramatic acts of violence.
5.
Cullen, D. Columbine. Pp. 32-36, 40-67, 275-280, 293-296, 305-311, 326-337, 349-353.
6.
Eric and Dylan (from the book “Comprehending Columbine”): Larkin, R. W. (2007). Comprhending
columbine. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
7.
Brooke, James. Terror in Littleton: the overview, 2 students in Colorado school said to gun down as many as
23 and kill themselves in a siege. NY Times, 4/20/99. Gives an overview of the events at Columbine from the
day of the shootings.
15. Final Examination
a. No quiz, no readings
(via NYU Classes)
Writing Tips for Response Papers:
1.
2.
3.
a.
b.
4.
5.
6.
The paper should have an introductory paragraph and thesis statement to let us know the focus of the paper.
The subsequent paragraphs should be clearly related to your thesis statement, offering support for your
argument. Every paragraph should be easily connected to the previous one.
Every paper should cite at least 2 sources to support/define your argument. Appropriate sources include
textbooks, journal articles, or scientific writing from the media. While blogs, opinion pieces, course lectures,
and media samples (TV, movies, music, etc.) are excellent to support your arguments, they do not count
toward your citations.
Citations to materials from the course (textbooks, articles) or otherwise should be included parenthetically
with author and page number within your paper, e.g., (Connor, 254). Course lectures may be cited but do not
count toward your minimum of 2 references.
Citations from course and non-course materials should also be listed with full citation information in a
reference/bibliography list at the end of your paper. Use APA or MLA style for these citations. If the
reference information is not listed, you will not get credit for the citation.
The paper should be 2-3 pages with 1” margins and double-spacing. If you list your references/bibliography
on a separate page, it does not count as part of the 2-3 pages.
We strongly suggest that you proofread the paper for grammar, spelling, and readability. If that is not your
forte, get help from friends, family, the University Learning Center, etc.
Some of the assignments offer less traditional options (rather than a written paper) for addressing the prompt.
Nonetheless, be sure to clearly reference course themes and resources in your work and include at least 2
citations in order to receive full credit. If you have created a media or creative project and are unsure whether
references to course themes and citations are evident, please also submit a brief (1-3 paragraphs) description
of your project on NYU Classes with citations and explanation of how it relates directly to course materials.
As NYU Classes will only allow one upload, you can send your creative project by the assignment deadline
over email if you are uploading a description.
Grading Rubric for Response Papers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2 points for clear writing (e.g., grammar, punctuation, spelling, clear sentences, no typos) and/or
communication of themes
2 points for organization (e.g., clear thesis, supporting arguments linked together, conclusion summarizes);
credit for creativity/originality included here
2 points for incorporation of resources, references, and ideas/sources from the course (at least 2 citations with
reference information required for full credit)
2 points for adequately and clearly addressing the assignment prompt in 2-3 pages or in a creative format
Papers that are turned in late will lose 2 points for each day that they are late. Students requesting an
exemption from the late submission policy must present a written note from a school Dean, Academic
Advisor, or personal physician justifying the late submission, which will then be considered by the instructor.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
All students at NYU follow an honor code and rules of conduct and policies of academic integrity
(http://cas.nyu.edu/page/academicintegrity). Students violate academic integrity when they: (1) cheat on
exams; (2) submit work that is not their original work; (3) submit the same work from two different courses
without permission from their professors; (4) receive help on a take-home exam without the knowledge of
their professor; or (5) plagiarize. Plagiarism occurs when students do not properly give credit when
reporting information or ideas from papers, documents, presentations, musical scores, the internet or other
materials, and thus attribute others’ work and ideas as their own. Examples of plagiarism include: (1)
copying verbatim from a book, article, presentation, or other documents, without providing a proper
attribution, citation or quotation; (2) paraphrasing an article, chapter, presentation or other materials without
giving attribution or citation, or providing quotation marks; (3) copying from a classmate or allowing a
classmate to copy from you, or submitting another student’s work with your name on it; (4) collaborating
between two of more students without the professor’s permission, and then submitting the paper individually;
(5) purchasing an assignment or paper, and submitting it as original work.
Students are expected to submit original work and ideas for all assignments, and to follow the rules of
conduct and policies of the honor code and academic integrity. Students can avoid plagiarism by: (1)
providing citations and attributions for information and ideas drawn from outsides sources and (2) submitting
original work. Details on how to cite articles and others’ work are provided on the Course Site (see tips on
the American Psychological Association’s referencing guidelines under “Assignments”). If you have any
questions regarding academic integrity and proper attribution of others’ work, please set up an appointment
with your professor. In the event that a student violates academic integrity or plagiarizes, the professor will
follow the rules and policies set forth by NYU and the College of Arts and Sciences. If any violations occur,
as per the University’s policies, this may result in a lower grade or failure in the course. For more
information on Academic Integrity and the Honor Code, please see:
http://cas.nyu.edu/page/academicintegrity.