Why don't women go on shooting rampages?

[sp1814]

This was asked to me by a female colleague earlier today whilst a group of us were discussing the murders at the Batman screening in Colorado.

I'd never consciously considered it before - but it seems true - its always men (Columbine, Washington, Colorado etc) who go on these murder sprees.

Why?

(The only woman ANY of us could name was Brenda Spencer, and the only reason a mate could recall her was because her story was immortalised in the Boomtown Rats song 'I Don't Like Mondays')

[FredPuli43]

Because women aren't the hunters. They are the gatherers (of shoes, mostly, he adds, ducking). It may be as simple as that. It is not in a woman's genes, acquired through evolution, to respond to stress, insane or otherwise, by going out to kill.

[Brinjal]

Brenda Spencer was the first school shooter. Started that trend..

[sp1814]

Someone said last night, that they thought it was because women (because they give birth) have a closer relationship to giving life, rather than taking it away. The argument goes, "if you know what it's like to create life, you're less inclined to take it away".

It sounds like a decent theory...

FredPuli43 - I await the angry responses to your shoes comment ;-)

[albaqwerty]

The fly in that ointment though, is it takes 2 to create life surely? (unless you're a single cell, amoeba?) Not you, sp btw. :-)
I think it is the giving birth is as good as any a theory. Females can, and have done, all sorts of things to protect their young so to just randomly take lives is beyond my understanding.

I don't gather shoes tho :-D but like the idea Fred.

[Hopkirk]

Actually Fred, I think the hunters are the gatherers.

[flip_flop]

Because they can't single task.

Women like to multi-task (which in English is to do more than one thing at a time - badly), and therefore would get too easilly distracted.

[youngmafbog]

SP, Please dont tempt fate !

I dont know why we dont have many so far but we have seen females 'copy' men over the years, for example the 'ladette' and the disatrous drinking culture. Lets hope they have more snse than to follow this trend.

[RATTER15]

Far fewer women show violent aggression and far fewer women own guns, far fewer women get themselves into situations where they they need to rampage.

[ludwig]

Men and women are different. Women tend not to do violent crime at all let alone shooting rampages. The relative prison populations of men and women show that.

Women tend to internalise their problems more which results in things like eating disorders and self-harming, whereas men take it out on others by putting on rambo gear and shooting people.

[FredPuli43]

No, Hopkirk, the hunters aren't the gatherers. I have hardly one complete pair of shoes in the house.

But I've also thought that 'hunter gatherer' was a term used to describe 'primitive' societies, as still found in parts of Africa, where the men hunt animals and the women gather berries and nuts.

[flobadob]

Women are more passive aggressive, they just get the man so wound up that he does the killing spree in their honour.

[cazzz1975]

women are more emotional, hormonal and empathic, to close these feelings off in order to commit mass murder would be very difficult. its simply not in a womans nature, women are nurturers.

I recognise that not all women will fit this description but in order for the human race to survive women naturally have skills built for caring and nurturing young.

[Kiki-frog]

I agree with Ludwig. Of course, there will always be exceptions to this, but I think it is generally true that women's expression of stress tends to be internalised or vocalised, whereas men are generally more likely to react physically.

And Fred, I have no problem with your point about shoes. Last time I counted I had 75 pairs.

[jno]

it does happen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Dann

http://en.wikipedia.o...ki/Amy_Bishop#Suspect

http://en.wikipedia.o...ki/Jennifer_San_Marco

[dickythecook]

Mrs cook says the only reason she hasn't gone on a killing spree is the fact that she couldn't face the clearing up afterwards. She says, and I quote, "Men are such messy bleeders!"

[cazzz1975]

disturbing stuff jno :o

[beso]

I do grow tried of the same old sexual stereotyping even from those who make a token gesture to acknowledge that it is "only a generalisation".

Despite the notions of equal opportunity, many women still jealousy guard their traditional role of being the "nurturers" and flatly refuse to acknowledge that a man is equally capable and in many case can be far more nurturing than some women.

It is blatantly sexist. Those same women would see red if anyone claimed that men were inherently better suited to things that are seen as traditionally male roles. They would insist that any such differences were a matter of social stereotyping yet refuse to acknowledge that the perceived differences in nurturing behaviours come from the exactly the same basis.

Many women continue to systematically shut boys out emotionally but choose to remain close to their daughters. Then they tell everyone how men can't communicate like a woman.

In my experience the reality is that women in general are actually very poor listeners when it come to hearing what a man has to say about his feelings. They are so focused on being "the more emotionally in tune sex" and indulging themselves that they don't bother to listen when a male does try to communicate. Many men give up after trying a few times.

[mrs_overall]

I could never go on a shooting spree because it would ruin my nails

[friedgreentomato]

Because we women are devious single minded creatures who like cats like to play and torture our victims and find that easier to do to one person not a room full!!