Instructions:
We as a nation are faced with the actual physical, psychological, and emotional threats posed by mass shootings. It’s now unavoidable. In the pieces we read for this unit we begin to confront the underlying Issues that have made these events a part of our national conscious. For instance, many times we’ll hear of the shooter being mentally unstable: a defense that has legitimate roots, or we’ll hear the shooter was always mean and has had a list since high school or soccer and that the parents, friends, or authorities should have known it was coming. They should have been watching the person long ago. Yet, in many cases, these are all just after thoughts to another slaughter of innocence.
For this essay I want you to do research into a factor that causes these events. To be clear, / do not want a research paper on a mass shooting, rather I want you to investigate what kind of factors lead to this and then do research on that/those aspect(s). I suggest researching the effects of bullying on a young personality, or the day to day struggles of someone who has schizophrenia, or something along the lines of what happens to the concept of hope in a person who is depressed and has no real connection to society (family, friends, connection to community, etc.). You are looking into aspects that are plaguing our society today, not laying out the gruesome details of a shooting. I cannot stress this enough. Once you know what concept you want to research, adhere to the following requirements

Essay Requirements:
1. The essay must be at least 750 words in length (not including Works Cited page)
2. The essay must be typed, and the lines double-spaced.
3. MLA format (double spaced, header, heading, in text citations from each source. Works Cited page)
4. Clear organization (introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, concluding paragraph)
5. Proper grammar k
6. Written in THIRD person narrative
7. Three sources needed
Helpful Hints:
• Use the online librarian. She is embedded in our course and sends you a helpful email for each essay.
• For your sources, I recommend psychologists/psychiatrists (with PhDs) who have written and studied the issue extensively.
• Use Trident’s database under “Psychology” and find related articles using their search engine.
• Revise and polish at least three times before turning in a final draft.
• Avoid generalities. Be specific in your points and analysis of these serious issues.