Editorial: On Collective Ownership of the Prevention of Mass Casualties Perpetrated by Youth

A great deal has been learned in the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre, and the science of prevention of mass casualties has matured over the past two decades. This article provides commentary on a new synthesis of the knowledge base, and incorporates very recent work from disparate disciplines that have further bearing on the prevention of such catastrophic events. Collective ownership of evidence-informed facets of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention by all practicing child and adolescent psychiatrists–in concert with efforts of primary care physicians, educators, policy-makers, law enforcement, and the general public–stands to avert progression of at-risk youth through stages of violent radicalization and the acquisition of means to perpetrate these incidents.