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Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer
Peer into the minds of teen killers like Pearl, Mississippi school shooter Luke Woodham with researcher Phil Chalmers as your guide to understand the motives behind, and possibly prevent, their horrifying violence. Luke Woodham, a pudgy 16-year-old, woke up one day, slit his mother's throat, and then drove to school, where he shot 9 people, including his girlfriend. Why? In Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer , Chalmers, who has been interviewing teen murderers and serial killers for over a decade, recounts Woodham's gripping and horrifying story, plumbing his motives, and peering into the killer's mind. Chalmers also weaves into the narrative his reasearch about teen culture, including comparisons with other teen killers, to analyze the disturbing ascent of teen violence and offer ways that we, as individuals, leaders, and communities, can help defuse this alarming trend. Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer is a culmination of Phil Chalmers' fifteen-year study on teen murder and school violence. This is an anti-violence project aimed at teens, parents, youth workers, teachers, and law enforcement. The most unique part of the book is the words of the killers themselves, explaining why they committed the crimes, what led them to murder, and how we could have helped them. The goal of this book is to educate America and the world on the growing problem of teen murder and school violence, and hopefully stop teen murder and save innocent lives. Phil interviewed nearly 200 teen killers and school shooters for this book, and it's sure to change the way America and the world thinks about the growing trend of juvenile homicide. Book release date to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Columbine, April 20, 2009. "Phil Chalmers has interviewed the killers. He has corresponded with them extensively. He has exhaustively researched their crimes. There is no human being alive who knows more about these killers, and as you read this book, you will truly be taken "Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer." Lt. Col Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (retired), murder expert, and author of "On Killing" and "Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill" "I am not insane, I am angry. I killed because people like me are mistreated every day. I did this to show society, 'push us and we will push back'.All throughout my life I was ridiculed, always beaten, always hated.It was a scream in sheer agony saying that if you can't pry your eyes open, if I can't do it through pacifism, if I can's show you through the displaying of intelligence, then I will do it with a bullet." Pearl, Mississippi school shooter Luke Woodham
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
34 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 18, 2021
I popped on Goodreads to see if anybody put their finger on exactly why I didn't love this book (besides my own vague, niggling sense that I didn't enjoy it) and I've made a discovery: this book manages to piss off everybody.
It pisses off the hardcore law and order types who want a killer dead, regardless of their age. (Or if not dead, at least not in a mental hospital)
It pisses off gun-control proponents by encouraging conceal and carry for adults in schools.
It pisses off libertarians by calling for higher regulation on violent movies and video games.
It pisses off those who came for clear answers and only got a vague list of things that could lead to teen shootings.
It pisses off people who think his answers are too pithy and concrete. Too clear, if you will, for the complicated subject.
It pisses off people who want the true-crime, nitty-gritty details by being too tame.
It pisses off people who felt it went too dark, bombarding the reader with murder after murder.
It is too soft for the religious right, too harsh for the religious left, and too religious for everybody else!
(Except when it isn't....I think my favorite review is the review at the very bottom after this torrent that says: "Very good book. All parents should read this book.")
In short, teenage killings touch on a lot of political hot-button issues that hit close to home for many people. And Chalmers isn't trying for subtlety. He's found his factors and he plans to expound on them.
And boy oh boy, if you like Halo or the Matrix, you are one Eminem song away from becoming violent!
Actually, that's probably the first thing that rubbed me wrong about this book:
1. It is dated. Maybe if I first read this book when I added it to my to-read list back in 2010, I would have loved it. But the book is now 12 years old. The media he references feel both silly and behind the times. And they're only going to continue feeling that way. His hysteria over horror movies in particular made me squirm. It all felt very Dr. James C. Dobson. Unintentionally harmful by teaching teens to fear culture rather than engage with it.
But also, the book doesn't reference more recent, famous teen killings (obviously.) For a few chapters I kept thinking: "this would be a great place for an analysis of the Slender Man Stabbings." Which hadn't happened yet, so it is unfair to hold it against this book for not referencing them. But the lack of the reference made his overall narrative feel dated where it should have felt substantiated.
2. Not academic enough. Perhaps I wanted more than this book intended to give. But considering how high-handed it is in making policy recommendations or advising parents, the data mostly amounts to "I interviewed and read up on a bunch of teen killers so I know what I'm talking about. Also, here are some citations to articles about the killings. Now buy my encyclopedia on teen killers."
Not helping: the author's obsession with inserting himself in the narrative. "I...I...I..." There are even pictures of him when he visited one of the teen killers in prison!
3. The distasteful last chapter. Now granted, this might be personal taste. But in the last chapter he gives you all the tips for how to raise a teen killer...meaning of course, to give you suggestions on doing the opposite. But I found the whole thing extremely awkward and not funny. The sarcasm falls flat. "How do you raise a teenage killer? Get divorced! Live in a bad neighborhood! Make sure he's sexually abused! Don't address it when he's bullied in school, tell him to just suck it up! Don't say anything when you walk in on him strangling the family dog! He probably doesn't need counseling."
Haha. What a barrel of laughs.
Chalmers really does attempt something worthy here. He wants to bring sense to senseless killings. He wants to make parents feel like if they follow his steps, they won't have to worry about their children turning violent. He wants to equip adults (mostly with guns!) to take charge of situations when things go wrong, but also to recognize the red flags early and reach out to at-risk youth.
But he repeats himself a lot. He makes references that quickly dated his book. And he doesn't really...offer anything new. At least, not new without more data.
Not a book I'll re-read. But not one I'd say to avoid if the subject interests you. Just don't put your expectations too high.
It pisses off the hardcore law and order types who want a killer dead, regardless of their age. (Or if not dead, at least not in a mental hospital)
It pisses off gun-control proponents by encouraging conceal and carry for adults in schools.
It pisses off libertarians by calling for higher regulation on violent movies and video games.
It pisses off those who came for clear answers and only got a vague list of things that could lead to teen shootings.
It pisses off people who think his answers are too pithy and concrete. Too clear, if you will, for the complicated subject.
It pisses off people who want the true-crime, nitty-gritty details by being too tame.
It pisses off people who felt it went too dark, bombarding the reader with murder after murder.
It is too soft for the religious right, too harsh for the religious left, and too religious for everybody else!
(Except when it isn't....I think my favorite review is the review at the very bottom after this torrent that says: "Very good book. All parents should read this book.")
In short, teenage killings touch on a lot of political hot-button issues that hit close to home for many people. And Chalmers isn't trying for subtlety. He's found his factors and he plans to expound on them.
And boy oh boy, if you like Halo or the Matrix, you are one Eminem song away from becoming violent!
Actually, that's probably the first thing that rubbed me wrong about this book:
1. It is dated. Maybe if I first read this book when I added it to my to-read list back in 2010, I would have loved it. But the book is now 12 years old. The media he references feel both silly and behind the times. And they're only going to continue feeling that way. His hysteria over horror movies in particular made me squirm. It all felt very Dr. James C. Dobson. Unintentionally harmful by teaching teens to fear culture rather than engage with it.
But also, the book doesn't reference more recent, famous teen killings (obviously.) For a few chapters I kept thinking: "this would be a great place for an analysis of the Slender Man Stabbings." Which hadn't happened yet, so it is unfair to hold it against this book for not referencing them. But the lack of the reference made his overall narrative feel dated where it should have felt substantiated.
2. Not academic enough. Perhaps I wanted more than this book intended to give. But considering how high-handed it is in making policy recommendations or advising parents, the data mostly amounts to "I interviewed and read up on a bunch of teen killers so I know what I'm talking about. Also, here are some citations to articles about the killings. Now buy my encyclopedia on teen killers."
Not helping: the author's obsession with inserting himself in the narrative. "I...I...I..." There are even pictures of him when he visited one of the teen killers in prison!
3. The distasteful last chapter. Now granted, this might be personal taste. But in the last chapter he gives you all the tips for how to raise a teen killer...meaning of course, to give you suggestions on doing the opposite. But I found the whole thing extremely awkward and not funny. The sarcasm falls flat. "How do you raise a teenage killer? Get divorced! Live in a bad neighborhood! Make sure he's sexually abused! Don't address it when he's bullied in school, tell him to just suck it up! Don't say anything when you walk in on him strangling the family dog! He probably doesn't need counseling."
Haha. What a barrel of laughs.
Chalmers really does attempt something worthy here. He wants to bring sense to senseless killings. He wants to make parents feel like if they follow his steps, they won't have to worry about their children turning violent. He wants to equip adults (mostly with guns!) to take charge of situations when things go wrong, but also to recognize the red flags early and reach out to at-risk youth.
But he repeats himself a lot. He makes references that quickly dated his book. And he doesn't really...offer anything new. At least, not new without more data.
Not a book I'll re-read. But not one I'd say to avoid if the subject interests you. Just don't put your expectations too high.
December 21, 2019
Found this book in the giveaway pile at my local library. I thought, what the heck, I need something to read on the bus ride home. I'll take it.
Holy cow, I'm so glad I did. But I also know why it was in the giveaway pile.
This guy is chock-full of common sense, which is obviously politically incorrect here in socialist Canada.
So, obviously his subject material is interesting to begin with. You can't just read about shootings and be like, "ugh, boring." And then teenagers are another factor of "ooh, that's messed up." And then there's psychology and reasons why people become homicidal. What signs to look for.
And it's highly applicable!! He goes into the factors that make it easier for teens to kill. Not all of them are "politically correct," but they make perfect sense. He points toward gun control, substance abuse, over-medicated kids, and apathetic parents being factors to teens taking advantage of their situations to kill.
It was refreshing to hear a guy who's not scared to tell it like it is. He spoke with passion and clearly has a heart for teenagers. I strongly recommend it.
Holy cow, I'm so glad I did. But I also know why it was in the giveaway pile.
This guy is chock-full of common sense, which is obviously politically incorrect here in socialist Canada.
So, obviously his subject material is interesting to begin with. You can't just read about shootings and be like, "ugh, boring." And then teenagers are another factor of "ooh, that's messed up." And then there's psychology and reasons why people become homicidal. What signs to look for.
And it's highly applicable!! He goes into the factors that make it easier for teens to kill. Not all of them are "politically correct," but they make perfect sense. He points toward gun control, substance abuse, over-medicated kids, and apathetic parents being factors to teens taking advantage of their situations to kill.
It was refreshing to hear a guy who's not scared to tell it like it is. He spoke with passion and clearly has a heart for teenagers. I strongly recommend it.
December 30, 2016
Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer is possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. The entire book attempts to push Phil Chalmers' conservative and religious agenda. Few times have I been reading a book and had the urge to literally throw the book across the room.
I came into the book expecting interesting accounts of murder cases and in-depth interviews with these teen killers. The book did not deliver what I expected, but I stuck with it anyway. Instead of shocking, deep looks into a teen killer's mind, the author presents quotes from no more than six teens that often lack substance and add nothing to the conversation. The style in which the quotes are written make it seem like they have been edited to fit Chalmers' viewpoint and serve little more than to boost the author's ego.
The conclusion of the book leaves me with a few things: God needs to be put back in America, we need more guns to stop guns, and that pornography, video games, and all forms of entertainment is bad. At one point, Chalmers says that he doesn't understand why minors are not allowed to go into porn shops and strip clubs but can attend concerts, which is an analogy between very different things that can't really be compared. He also puts a lot of emphasis on Christianity throughout the book, many times stating that when God was present in America, none of these things would have happened. There are also many underlying themes of homophobia and general intolerance that comes with religion throughout the writing. Gun control is also a big issue which the book addresses (mostly by saying that we need more guns). The statistics on gun control presented are often misleading in order to support the author's position.
Some of the points made in the book are interesting, and I wish that the author would have explored these points further. For instance, Chalmers talks about the rate at which black teenagers are often targeted and set up for failure from the start. He also talks about how we need to put more funding into rehabilitation and help those with mental illnesses. I would have loved to read more about these issues and read solutions that Chalmers would propose, but these issues were just breezed by in the book.
If you are interested in an objective look at teen serial killers through their eyes, this is not your book. If you are interested in a true crime book that offers more to the table than just simplified arguments with little support, then this is not your book. There are many other true crime books that are worth your time, but this book is just not one of them.
I came into the book expecting interesting accounts of murder cases and in-depth interviews with these teen killers. The book did not deliver what I expected, but I stuck with it anyway. Instead of shocking, deep looks into a teen killer's mind, the author presents quotes from no more than six teens that often lack substance and add nothing to the conversation. The style in which the quotes are written make it seem like they have been edited to fit Chalmers' viewpoint and serve little more than to boost the author's ego.
The conclusion of the book leaves me with a few things: God needs to be put back in America, we need more guns to stop guns, and that pornography, video games, and all forms of entertainment is bad. At one point, Chalmers says that he doesn't understand why minors are not allowed to go into porn shops and strip clubs but can attend concerts, which is an analogy between very different things that can't really be compared. He also puts a lot of emphasis on Christianity throughout the book, many times stating that when God was present in America, none of these things would have happened. There are also many underlying themes of homophobia and general intolerance that comes with religion throughout the writing. Gun control is also a big issue which the book addresses (mostly by saying that we need more guns). The statistics on gun control presented are often misleading in order to support the author's position.
Some of the points made in the book are interesting, and I wish that the author would have explored these points further. For instance, Chalmers talks about the rate at which black teenagers are often targeted and set up for failure from the start. He also talks about how we need to put more funding into rehabilitation and help those with mental illnesses. I would have loved to read more about these issues and read solutions that Chalmers would propose, but these issues were just breezed by in the book.
If you are interested in an objective look at teen serial killers through their eyes, this is not your book. If you are interested in a true crime book that offers more to the table than just simplified arguments with little support, then this is not your book. There are many other true crime books that are worth your time, but this book is just not one of them.
June 11, 2018
I have conflicting feelings about this book. Phil Chalmers makes some valid points about what we as a society and parents need to do to try to ensure that teens don't become teen killers. What is a problem is that he is an advocate of carrying concealed weapons. I don't think that should be allowed. He states that only law enforcement and trained civilians should be able to carry weapons and have weapons. Well, sadly, it's those trained civilians that sometimes go ape shit crazy, and/or their kids get ahold of the those same guns, and do the same thin. I think that the only people who should carry guns is law enforcement. Also, that being said, knives can do just as much damage, and no one should carry those either.
It is sad that nowadays, this is a regular situation, and a lot of the times, it's because these people don't get their own way, and want people to pay for them being pissed off. We, as a society, need to teach our kids the word "NO" and make them understand that we all can't have everything we want, and when no is said, that doesn't mean kill someone, it means no. Period!
It is sad that nowadays, this is a regular situation, and a lot of the times, it's because these people don't get their own way, and want people to pay for them being pissed off. We, as a society, need to teach our kids the word "NO" and make them understand that we all can't have everything we want, and when no is said, that doesn't mean kill someone, it means no. Period!
January 30, 2013
It was an interesting read, but...it felt fragmented. It is supposed to be about what leads a teen to kill. But, the reader is easily distracted by wanting to read about the killers and the crimes themselves. Chalmers has written an encyclopedia of teen killers that would probably be right up my alley considering what I payed most attention to in this book.
This book provides a lot of theories about what leads a teen to kill, but then tells you there is no real way to tell. It was frustrating because we really could use some definitive information about what flicks the switch in these teens' brains to make them killers.
It was still a good read.
This book provides a lot of theories about what leads a teen to kill, but then tells you there is no real way to tell. It was frustrating because we really could use some definitive information about what flicks the switch in these teens' brains to make them killers.
It was still a good read.
November 25, 2013
While the topic and statistics are stunningly tragic (there are many, many more incidents that I realized--we only tend to hear about the bigger ones), I think this book might have been more compelling and thought-provoking had the author not had such a clear agenda (promoting MORE guns).
And seriously, a sales ad printed after every single chapter?! Who the hell does that?!
And seriously, a sales ad printed after every single chapter?! Who the hell does that?!
April 9, 2018
Worthwhile read to help you think about things that can be done so help todays youth. However, I really hate when authors present their opinions as truths. I was actually a little offended at points but it is evident that he is passionate on the subject so I thank him for that.
February 21, 2025
Can I give -5 stars? This was a big * NO * for me. I have a background in psych, so I was much more critical than others may be. His “data” is insanely bias. He failed to fact check on the simplest statements (which makes me worried about the major information). He misidentified Mortal Kombat as a first person shooter game (it’s not). He gave Tupac’s birthday/age of death was incorrect
His research was meeting these child killers in prison and explaining again and again and again how remorseful they are and how they have found God. Them and every other prisoner.
He self prompted throughout the entire book, I can still remember his website LOL I believe all info in this book is skewed.
He seems to try to find any reason of what caused these children to kill instead of holding them accountable. Yes, may have them share many of the same situations, but still had free will.
His research was meeting these child killers in prison and explaining again and again and again how remorseful they are and how they have found God. Them and every other prisoner.
He self prompted throughout the entire book, I can still remember his website LOL I believe all info in this book is skewed.
He seems to try to find any reason of what caused these children to kill instead of holding them accountable. Yes, may have them share many of the same situations, but still had free will.
September 7, 2022
The author is a marvelous and very thorough speaker. I attended a class that he taught and was impressed. I bought this book from that class. The first 140ish pages were decent, but then the writing seemed more like a college essay than a book. I would recommend attending one of his classes, but I would not recommend this book. The ideas are pretty much common sense if you know anything at all about serial killers.
May 8, 2017
The book made me mad, because age "don't cut no ice" with me. I say they should be hanged, quicker the better. Once the crime's proven, they are not remorseful--but glad of what they did--take them out. Yes, I live in Texas.
The more you know, the more cynical you get.
The more you know, the more cynical you get.
May 18, 2019
It was more of a report than a book but I still enjoyed reading it, and it gave me some good theories to research further for my academia!
July 22, 2021
Great book containing facts about true crimes in the US and strategies that ordinary people can implement to help stop these tragedies. If you have a child this is a must read.
January 12, 2022
Very poorly written. IMO, not at all interesting or informative.
June 25, 2023
This is a really interesting book
Read
July 25, 2010Well this was a VERY informative book and i am so glad that i read it but first i will explain why it only got 4 stars from me instead of 5:
First off, he kept mentioning Columbine and how Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were bullied, and i'm sure they were to a certain extent, but at the same time so is everyone. Eric and Dylan's mission was supposed to out do Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Building bombing. it was supposed to be a terrorist attack with three acts or "phases". what we see on the news and read about was only part of phase 2, and that was the shooting. so for Mr. Chalmers to keep going on and on about that rather annoyed me considering i read the best true crime book everColumbine, to be fair i haven't read Helter Skelter or In Cold Blood, but out of the ones i have read Columbine by Dave Cullen was amazing and it will really showed what Eric and Dylan were trying to prove to the world on April 20 1999.
another thing i disliked was that what Mr. Chalmers wanted from us as citizens and parents, teachers, etc. was unrealistic. yes, this book was written for parents and i'm only 17, but still i kind of laughed at a few of his suggestions. it doesn't matter how well you raise your kids, some kids are just wired wrong and that is what scares us as a society but it is true. also kids, teens, young adults, etc are going to be exposed to violence and sexual images, they can't walk past a billboard or turn on any TV in America and not be exposed to it so to tell parents to monitor EVERYTHING that they're kids buy/watch is unrealistic b/c a lot of kids sneak stuff in and it isn't hard.
nothing in this book surprised me (except for some of the grusome details of true stories of aggression and savergy that our youth has committed) because i already knew most of the material in it, but i still LOVED it and enjoyed it very much. however, for some parents who haven't caught up with all the technological advances and are just trying to put food on the table every night and so forth, i'm sure this will be a wake up call to those individuals.
i really liked Mr. Chalmer's sarcastic tone in his final chapter on the 10 ways to raise a serial killer. it was ridiculous but one could most definitely learn from it! i loved reading the true stories. some i had heard about but some i hadn't. it gives warning signs for teens that could become violent and also in the back is the longest list of teen killers in America that has ever been printed and this goes back to the late 1700s. the stories are simply mindblowing.
the memoirs of what prison is really like scared me. it made me NEVER EVER wanna do anything that would risk me going there. prisons should be a punishment, but at the same time for rehabilitation. if i am paying my tax dollars i would expect some good to come out of it and not just punishing these ppl. this book also gave examples of how unfair our criminal justice system can be, but at the same time of how some ppl easily got off.
this book made me gasp, laugh, cry, and just stunned me at times. i HIGHLY recommend this book but again about Columbine, seriously buy Columbine by Dave Cullen. it is well worth the $24.95!!!!
and this book also gave us a glimpse at teen killers around the world, which i found very interesting, and in fact the most deadly school shooting ever was in Germany, and NOT America, now i bet that will surprise a lot of folks. and a lot of these school shooters were bullied, which enforces the whole Columbine thing, but truly read Columbine by Dave Cullen and you will see what i mean when i say that Eric and Dyland were not as tormented as the mmedia portrayed them to be
the details in this book are fascinating and its clear that Mr. Chalmers did his researchL!
and also he truly cares about America's youth. and he gave a ton of websites, phone numbers, and ppl to contact if someone thinks that a friend, student, neighbor, or family member could become a hostile and violent youth criminal.
First off, he kept mentioning Columbine and how Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were bullied, and i'm sure they were to a certain extent, but at the same time so is everyone. Eric and Dylan's mission was supposed to out do Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Building bombing. it was supposed to be a terrorist attack with three acts or "phases". what we see on the news and read about was only part of phase 2, and that was the shooting. so for Mr. Chalmers to keep going on and on about that rather annoyed me considering i read the best true crime book everColumbine, to be fair i haven't read Helter Skelter or In Cold Blood, but out of the ones i have read Columbine by Dave Cullen was amazing and it will really showed what Eric and Dylan were trying to prove to the world on April 20 1999.
another thing i disliked was that what Mr. Chalmers wanted from us as citizens and parents, teachers, etc. was unrealistic. yes, this book was written for parents and i'm only 17, but still i kind of laughed at a few of his suggestions. it doesn't matter how well you raise your kids, some kids are just wired wrong and that is what scares us as a society but it is true. also kids, teens, young adults, etc are going to be exposed to violence and sexual images, they can't walk past a billboard or turn on any TV in America and not be exposed to it so to tell parents to monitor EVERYTHING that they're kids buy/watch is unrealistic b/c a lot of kids sneak stuff in and it isn't hard.
nothing in this book surprised me (except for some of the grusome details of true stories of aggression and savergy that our youth has committed) because i already knew most of the material in it, but i still LOVED it and enjoyed it very much. however, for some parents who haven't caught up with all the technological advances and are just trying to put food on the table every night and so forth, i'm sure this will be a wake up call to those individuals.
i really liked Mr. Chalmer's sarcastic tone in his final chapter on the 10 ways to raise a serial killer. it was ridiculous but one could most definitely learn from it! i loved reading the true stories. some i had heard about but some i hadn't. it gives warning signs for teens that could become violent and also in the back is the longest list of teen killers in America that has ever been printed and this goes back to the late 1700s. the stories are simply mindblowing.
the memoirs of what prison is really like scared me. it made me NEVER EVER wanna do anything that would risk me going there. prisons should be a punishment, but at the same time for rehabilitation. if i am paying my tax dollars i would expect some good to come out of it and not just punishing these ppl. this book also gave examples of how unfair our criminal justice system can be, but at the same time of how some ppl easily got off.
this book made me gasp, laugh, cry, and just stunned me at times. i HIGHLY recommend this book but again about Columbine, seriously buy Columbine by Dave Cullen. it is well worth the $24.95!!!!
and this book also gave us a glimpse at teen killers around the world, which i found very interesting, and in fact the most deadly school shooting ever was in Germany, and NOT America, now i bet that will surprise a lot of folks. and a lot of these school shooters were bullied, which enforces the whole Columbine thing, but truly read Columbine by Dave Cullen and you will see what i mean when i say that Eric and Dyland were not as tormented as the mmedia portrayed them to be
the details in this book are fascinating and its clear that Mr. Chalmers did his researchL!
and also he truly cares about America's youth. and he gave a ton of websites, phone numbers, and ppl to contact if someone thinks that a friend, student, neighbor, or family member could become a hostile and violent youth criminal.
January 24, 2016
Interesting and hard to put down, mentioning many cases of teen murder that were new to me, but I have to say that overall the feel of the book was superficial and unfocused. In a way, this book is a great overview of the wrongheaded ideas people use to explain school shooting and other dreadful kid behavior. He describes the horrible lives these kids have that drove them to violence, then tries to blame video games and TV shows for what finally happened, as if it were "The Sopranos" that got Jane Bautista killed rather than her years of battereing and terrorizing nher sons. One very serious oversight was the author's failure to mention the names of most of the victims, as if only the killers could be of any real interest. He bizarrely seems to say, more than once, that the key to handling school violence is for more private citizens to have concealed-carry gun permits. His other answer is getting these kids to church, which is unlikely to be a helpful option in families characterized by child basttering, sexual violence and addiction. Also, he overlooks the well-known fact that many Satanic serial killers first got interested in Satan by going to church, Richard Ramirez being the best-known example. The author apologizes over and over for even mentioning icky subjects like "Grand Theft Auto" and the lyrics of Marilyn Manson, while stressing that they are (in his opinion) key precursors n the pathology of violent youth. He manages to rather miss the point, that kids who feel loved and accepted are very unlikely to turn to Satanism or the KKK to find a place to belong, or to take Manson's music as seriously as a kid whose life is going better. He rightly points to school bullying as a major precipitant of school shootings, but does not go beyond saying "this should not be allowed." Some of the writing is amazingly clumsy ("Mental illness can consist of...cranial indentation" was my personal favorite). Cheesiest of all was the boxed announcement at the end of every chapter, saying, in effect: "IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS SUBJECT, WATCH FOR PHIL'S NEXT BOOK, COMING SOON!!!"
March 3, 2018
(2014) I agree with some of the other reviews....sometimes the author jumped around a bit, and at times the writing itself was average. HOWEVER, for people who are just starting to read up on this topic....AND PEOPLE WHO WORK IN SCHOOLS SHOULD BEGIN NOW....it's a good start. It had some solid data, some concrete signs of alarming behaviors of which non-mental-health-workers may be unaware, and a spin on some controversial topics. Recently, I have been introduced to the work of Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (he actually signed this book as a gift to me); I think he has VERY concrete data, and while I can acknowledge some his views may be controversial, it truly is time we start doing MORE in the way of preparation and safety in our schools.
(2018) I just re-read this book in preparation for "Homicide in America-Training by Phil Chalmers," at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan on March 9, 2018. One advantage of rereading a text is that current events and circumstances often provide an opportunity to read material through a different lens & gain additional perspective.
(2018) I just re-read this book in preparation for "Homicide in America-Training by Phil Chalmers," at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan on March 9, 2018. One advantage of rereading a text is that current events and circumstances often provide an opportunity to read material through a different lens & gain additional perspective.
December 20, 2012
This book isn't quite what I thought it would of been about. Chalmers does a good job of showing statistics about different things teen killers have done. I gave this book a 4 star instead of a 3 star because Chalmers does a great job of telling you how to prevent teen killers. I agree with Chalmers that this is something that should be watched better. I also have to agree with Chalmers about the morale of the US as a whole needs to be re-evaluated and maybe people will understand we need to start making people responsible for their actions before they get out of control like a teen killer.
November 24, 2015
Good read if you are interested in te subject of teen crime. Also good for parents so they can recognize normal vs. abnormal.
I didn't agree with everything but did attend his training for work. A fascinating subject to me.
Going to read the Encylopedia of Teen Killers next.
8/13, 11/15
I didn't agree with everything but did attend his training for work. A fascinating subject to me.
Going to read the Encylopedia of Teen Killers next.
8/13, 11/15
December 5, 2010
What an absolutely eye-opening book about what helps trigger teenagers into becoming young killers and being involved in awful situations. This was a great book to read.
Read
February 14, 2025Very Interesting!!!!!! and true
November 8, 2013
Very good book. All parents should read this book.
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