How Surroundings Shape Behaviors

In the events following a tragic event, such as a school shooting, society is quick to jump to review the backstory of the perpetrator. There are the typical questions that arise: “Were they a ‘loner’?”, “What was their home life like?”, “What kind of people did they surround themself with?”. Within these questions, society is automatically attributing the crimes of the individual to their environment and surroundings, rather than themself. Unintentionally, society acknowledges the impact of others on an individual’s development; when an individual commits a crime, their social integration is immediately called into question, and the general consensus is always the same: they were not properly socialized, and if they were, they would have never committed their crime. 

The psychosocial behaviors presented by adolescents are largely influenced by their surrounding environments; including, but not limited to, their peers. During one’s adolescent years, children and teenagers will spend most of their time with people within their age group; the people they surround themself with play a major role in shaping who they will become as they grow up. The views they develop, their hobbies, and their future goals can all be impacted by the people around them. For example, by surrounding themselves with athletes who are focused on clean eating and maintaining a healthy body, they will likely adopt the same practices. The same is expected in contrast; if they surround themselves with smokers and peers who enjoy violence and rebellion, they will begin to enjoy the same things. Therefore, there is no positive nor negative connotation for the impact of influence from peers; it is simply a consequence of being social. However, there is also a noticeable impact when there is a lack of socialization within an individual. To best understand the differences, it is important to first understand what qualifies as being “properly socialized.” It is, in most cases, on a perception basis. An individual simply always being surrounded by people does not equate to them being properly socialized. Rather, a “properly socialized individual” is comfortable around other people, considers themself as having friends, and understand and act in line with what is socially “normal”. In contrast, those who are not “properly socialized” are those that are recognized as social outcasts: they are unable to relate with their peers, they do not have any friends, and do not behave in a socially “normal” way, leading to them often being ostracized by their peers.

In November of 2021, Ethan Crumbley of Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, released gunfire on his peers and educators, killing four people. In the research that came to light in the midst of his trial, his background and home life were, naturally, immediately investigated. In a Case Study of his shooting published by the Journal of Education, Health, and Social Sciences, the research revealed that Crumbley had a tragic home life, which had likely shaped his personality. In the weeks immediately preceding the shooting, “Ethan’s best friend moved away and his family dog died, which caused him to become depressed.”

It is no mere coincidence that the simultaneous occurrence of these events had no impact on Ethan’s decision and actions. He lost his closest friend, which lessened his social interactions, and led to depression. This factor, coupled with his rough home life, influenced his mood, feelings, and, inevitably, actions. Moreover, in Crumbley’s family, gun violence was not taught to be a dangerous concept, with Crumbley’s parents purchasing a gun for him to have, “referring to it as Ethan’s ‘new Christmas present’.” The environment one is surrounded by shapes their moral views, and their concept of right and wrong.

Typically, socialization with their peers will also impact how teens grow up– but inadequate socialization can cause mental disturbances on their psyches. In losing his best friend, Crumbley had lost his primary social outlet. Though he had already shown signs of mental instability and potential violence, those actions were only acted on following the loss of his peer. Without an outlet to communicate with, it can be hard to differentiate what is socially acceptable. While this is no excuse for the heinous crimes committed, it is a necessary viewpoint when diving into the backgrounds of criminals in cases like these.

While an example has been presented regarding an antisocial shooter, this is not true of every individual who commits such crime. In fact, it is not uncommon for a school shooter to have a social peer group, of which they share similar interests. Does this qualify as being ‘properly socialized’, a phrase with no concrete definition or mode of measurement? The short answer is no. A properly socialized individual would not unleash gunfire in a school. However, with encouragement from their peer group, they may develop ideas that their actions are okay, or even warranted. In School shootings: A Review of the Characteristics and the Psychopathology of the Perpetrators, the typical school shooter is assessed, alongside the common factors of a school shooting, and the signs that were missed. “Shooters were considered outcasts and “weird” but not all of them were ‘loners’. Their peer groups shared analogous interests in violence, making even harder the ‘reality check’ on behalf of the perpetrator.” When an individual is in a social group that shares their views, they develop a warped sense of right and wrong.

Social groups can have both positive and negative effects on the way an individual’s perception of morals develops, and a key example is the analogous interests in violence. If everyone surrounding an individual is telling them something is okay, why are they going to question it? It is far easier to see something is wrong from outside of the house, than it is from inside of it. If people surround themselves with people who enjoy nature and volunteering, they will likely begin to develop the same interests. The same is true if one surrounds themself with drug users: they will begin to take after those they surround themselves with. Humans are naturally programmed to want to fit in, and, if surrounded by people with certain ideals, they will, more often than not, adopt them as well. 

It is a challenge to identify what qualifies as being ‘properly socialized.’ Solely ‘fitting in’ with one’s chosen group is not enough, nor is simply having a group. In order to qualify as being ‘properly socialized’, one must have a grasp on the concept of social awareness, and, as a general note, understand the general principles of right from wrong. The amount of peer relationships is not, necessarily, the largest factor, but one’s ability to properly interact with others can be an indicator of social health. The way one has grown up and the people they surround themselves with play major roles in determining what kind of person one will become. 

References

Contributors to Antisocial Behavior in Adolescence from the Perspective of Developmental Psychology: A Case Study on a School Mass Shooting Leng & Song

https://drpress.org/ojs/index.php/EHSS/article/view/6442

(PDF) School shootings: A Review of the Characteristics and the Psychopathology of the Perpetrators PDF | On Mar 30, 2017, Alevizopoulos Giorgos published School shootings: A Review of the Characteristics and the Psychopathology of the Perpetrators 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322226358_School_shootings_A_Review_of_the_Characteristics_and_the_Psychopathology_of_the_Perpetrators