Columbine Attack and its Results - Case Study Example

Answer Q1 Columbine attack was carried out by two college going from good family background who had good academic record. They wore trench coat, hiding bombs, shot guns and semiautomatic rifles and carried the carnage at school ground, killing 12 students, one faculty member and injuring 23 others before killing themselves. It has inspired other school shooters mainly because it was carried out successfully in such smooth manner by two students who were not even considered psychopath till after their death.

Answer Q2 Columbine murder reflected unprecedented hatred against mankind and vicarious pleasure in the violence. Most importantly, it shows that outer appearances can be deceptive and hide cruelty, twisted mindset and general tendency to vandalism.Answer Q3 Parents and authorities should have got alert with the first offence, howsoever minor, and consulted good psychiatrist to unravel the psychology of young students, who were otherwise intelligent and seemingly well mannered. Parents had never tried to go into the depth of the things when they had come across their children’s criminal behavior, including the making of homemade bombs.

The authorities should also have investigated the activities, including cyber activities of the students and studied the characteristics of psychopath, before letting them get into program and allowed early release.Answer Q4 The evildoers are always people who use covert behavior to hide their true intentions. The evil activities and criminal behavior are never an isolated act but are characterized by a trend or pattern of criminal acts. Thus, if the person has committed a criminal activity, it is important to investigate his past actions and take the help of psychologists to assess deviant personality.

Answer Q5 No, Harris and Klebold should not be forgiven for their assault on Columbine High School. They are strong example of abnormal personality with devious mindset and violent tendencies. The attack was deliberately carried out in educational institute, targeting innocent children and faculty members. The basic objective was to create an environment of terror for the sole purpose of personal satisfaction. Moreover, it was also an expression of hatred against people at large. Thus, their acts must be condemned publicly and not forgiven.

The parents had taken lightly the criminal activities of their children and shown scarce concern for discipline or punishment to improve them. Such type of parental neglect gives wrong signal to children and encourages them towards unsocial activities and acts of violence. Hence, parents should also have been held responsible for the acts of their children and served as early alarm for those parents who ignore minor and not so minor evil or criminal activities of their children within and outside the home.

Answer Q6 The major leadership lesson learnt from Columbine case is that people’s concern should always be listened. Understanding of human behavior should be based on in-depth analysis of actions over a period of time, rather than on face value or outward appearance of individual and tested over time. Leadership initiative promotes critical thinking that looks at the issue or event from myriad perspective and comes to decisions based on informed choices. The case lacked this aspect and failed to stop the carnage.

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