“This can’t happen here!” Community Reactions to School Shootings in Finland

Abstract

The recent school shootings in Jokela and in Kauhajoki received immediate worldwide media coverage on mass violence in a welfare society. This article examines community response to these incidents. We have gathered comparable survey data from the local communities Jokela (N=330) and Kauhajoki (N=319). Both surveys were conducted approximately six months after the shootings, and they represent local adult populations. With these data, we analyse the reactions of local residents to the shootings. We focus on questions such as whether the shootings were considered isolated tragedies or not, and whether they could have been prevented or not. The article considers what implications these recent critical incidents may have for Finland as a Nordic welfare society.