Humans are structured in such a way that we need models for our lives to make us feel significant.
Some people follow parents or community leaders as models.
Anne Jacobson, Chair of the UH Cognitive Sciences Initiative, says violent copycat actions are actually rare when you consider the possibilities. Since the shooting, there have been reports across the nation of school threats and violence. In Houston, Cullen Middle School officials confiscated a pistol after receiving a tip from students. Meanwhile, at Harlingen High School, a student was expelled Wednesday after he was found with a hit list of classmates he reportedly wanted to kill. And in Pennsylvania, an eighth grade girl was arrested after a shooting at a parochial school that wounded another girl.