Although it is impossible to predict when or where the next school shooting will occur, we do know enough about these incidents to identify common themes. Anyone who has ever shared a house with a teenager knows that he or she can be temperamental, dramatic, self-absorbed, and occasionally withdrawn. Teens desire autonomy from their parents and acceptance by their peers. Girls form cliques with like-minded friends and exclude those who don't fit in.
Boys take risks, show off, and never back down from a fight.
Adults should not be surprised by this behavior. We acted the same way when we were teens. Teens haven't changed much, but the world around them has changed a great deal. Modern culture is saturated with violence. Television, movies, and pop music feed teens a steady diet of mayhem, killings, and degradation.