On May 20, 1998, Kipland Phillip "Kip" Kinkel killed his parents and then went on to open fire at his school at Thurston High School the very next day. In this research paper, I will be posing the following questions that detail the different psychological, sociological, and anthropological perspectives of this event: To what extent did Kip Kinkel's mental health influence his actions? How do the education system and familial structures contribute to feelings of isolation and lead to violence in teens? And finally, how do media portrayals of violence shape cultural narratives and general perceptions? These questions aim to provide additional frames about mental health, societal elements, and cultural influences that may have played a role in …show more content…
You aren't worth anything.” Kip reportedly tried many things to stop the voices inside of his head– even punching his head at one point. Additionally, an incident was reported where Kip had disrupted English class by proclaiming, "God damn this voice inside my head!" Dr. Bolstad testified that he believed Kip had murdered his parents and opened fire at his fellow students under the influence of these voices. Frontline 2000 -. Later in a handwritten note by Kip, he wrote, “My head just doesn't work right. I have to kill people. I don't know why, but I do. I am so sorry for that! Why did God do this to me? I have never been happy. I wish I was happy. I wish I had made my mother proud. I am not a snob! I tried so hard to find happiness. But you know me, I hate everything. I have no other choice.” What is more is that Joyce Naffziger, a private investigator in the case of STATE v. KINKEL, testified of her findings of multiple cases of mental illness in Kip’s extended family– including schizophrenia. (FRONTLINE, 2000) Moreover, Dr. Richard J. Konkol, a pediatric neurologist also testified of his findings through multiple tests and scans– most notably a SPECT test, where the neurologist found that Kip had an underlying dysfunction of specific circuits in the brain which he linked
Morley Callaghan’s novel More Joy in Heaven follows the short life of notorious bank robber and gunman Kip Caley. Callaghan's novel is based off and follows Red Ryan's now forgotten story almost word for word. Red Ryan and the fictional Kip Caley both face the effects of a being an outsider in a forceful, high-class society. Individuals and organizations play a huge responsibility role to ex-convicts; readers of More Joy in Heaven unfortunately see the side effects when selfishness and thirst for
the most notorious school massacre was at Columbine High School. It was here, in 1999, that two male students murdered twelve students, one teacher, and then committed suicide (Internet Site #4). We viewed a film, The Killer at Thurston High, and saw Kip Kinkel not only shoot up his high school, but also murder his parents. These few extraordinary children strike fear in the hearts of America’s parents every morning when they send their own children off to school. However, the likelihood of a child
on May 21st of 1998. A quiet boy named Kip Kinkel became known as “The Killer at Thurston High” after killing both of his parents, murdering two classmates, and severely injuring 24 others. There are many factors in the 15 year old boy’s life that led up to the horrific events that occurred on that day. The same factors that influenced the tragedy in occurring could have very easily insured that it never happened to begin with. On May 20th of 1998 Kip Kinkel was suspended from Thurston High for
murdering each other? Video games may not be the main cause, but they are a contributing factor. Some of things that can lead people to commit violent crimes are their home life, social settings and their mental state. Seung-Hui Cho, Marc Lepine and Kip Kinkel all came from hostile home environments. Marc Lepine, a man who killed 14 women and injured 13, was born in Montreal, Canada. His parent separated in result of his father being very abusive to him, his mother and sister. Scientific evidence has
Kip Kinkel killed his parents and killed two students. He open fired at Thurston High School, killing two students and injuring twenty-five. Kinkel had a very tough childhood. His relationship with his father, friends and family played a big role in this horrible event. The day he killed his parents and open fired in the high school and day that will not be forgotten. This event injured many people, made many people upset, and gave many other young kids an idea about bringing violence to their own