# Why don't women go on shooting sprees? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 19, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474 "2012-12-19T00:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/41 "2012-12-19T18:44:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Actually IIRC women are more prone to suicide attempts that are at least partly done to attract attention/sympathy (consciously or unconsciously); as such they tend to pick methods that are more likely to send them to the hospital instead of just kill them, like an overdose or poorly slitting their wrists. Men who make suicide attempts tend to be more focused on just trying to die, and tend to pick more certain methods like shooting themselves in the head. You didn’t actually mention there the fact that men kill themselves far more often, something like three times as often in America, as women do. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/42 "2012-12-19T18:57:33Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > [ul] > [li]Men are more variable than women; there are more male geniuses, but also more male idiots and lunatics. And shooting sprees are way out there on one end of the bell curve; even crazy men are very unlikely to do this. There’s simply fewer women who are _this_ crazy.[/li] > [/ul] This is a fascinating thought that had never occurred to me before. I’d be interested if this is cross cultural. > [@AHunter3](#): > > I agree. I also think that insofar as women have had more constraints on them (less freedom in general), mixed with more of a sense of lurking danger from other people, that can be part of the “less extremes” phenomenon; that women’s behavior tends to cluster tighter around the expected norm. Having less freedom and feeling less safe probably makes a person at least somewhat more inclined to value safety; and there’s safety in conformity. It will be interesting to see if this changes (or is in the process of changing) now that women and men are on more equal footing. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/43 "2012-12-19T21:46:59Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > This is a fascinating thought that had never occurred to me before. I’d be interested if this is cross cultural. > > . It applies not just to psychological characteristics but physical ones as well. The tallest person alive is always a man, unsurprisingly. The shortest person alive is usually a man, too. It’s not just cross cultural but cross species. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/44 "2012-12-19T23:43:37Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > You didn’t actually mention there the fact that men kill themselves far more often, something like three times as often in America, as women do. It was implied; men who attempt suicide are more likely to use methods that reliably kill. Shotgun to the head and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/45 "2012-12-20T03:38:54Z")
Perhaps it has more to with the recoil and aiming of an assualt rifle by the weaker sex. My hunch is there have been several valid attempts, but several dozen divets in the ceiling and floor, as well as the side of a nearby barn, just dont make it on CNN. My other hunch is that the female dopers here will take me out this weekend with AR-15s for being a blatant MCP. ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/46 "2012-12-20T03:48:01Z")
Cite [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iqYznDU1gY) ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/47 "2012-12-20T03:52:58Z")
In fairness to the Doperettes Cite: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vfGUF8T-dUM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGHIgWSgRMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAVrvv3YtVYK5F1-il0dZ5zxKbRYg "Recoil Music Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfGUF8T-dUM) ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/48 "2012-12-20T04:06:05Z")
Cite [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/35D6_GHBLcM/hqdefault.jpg "Shotgun recoil on Tattoo Girl") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35D6_GHBLcM) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/49 "2012-12-20T04:25:27Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > Perhaps it has more to with the recoil and aiming of an assualt rifle by the weaker sex. The guy who performed this last massacre used pistols I believe. I don’t know what this fascination with “assault rifles” comes from. And while women aren’t on average as strong as men, they aren’t made of wet noodles either. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/50 "2012-12-20T04:36:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The guy who performed this last massacre used pistols I believe. I don’t know what this fascination with “assault rifles” comes from. Initial reports that the maniac shot the kids with pistols proved to be incorrect. The autopsy findings showed each dead child had been shot multiple times by a rifle. ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/51 "2012-12-20T04:51:53Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The guy who performed this last massacre used pistols I believe. I don’t know what this fascination with “assault rifles” comes from. > > And while women aren’t on average as strong as men, they aren’t made of wet noodles either. Let me know if you Dopers can see my Ipad mobile youtube cites above…Fyi they show women shooting even a handgun, with the recoil slamming the gun back into their faces, even knocking them out. If you cant watch them just go to youtube and search “girl” “recoil” ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/52 "2012-12-20T04:58:21Z")
Since we’re talking about crazy, is it OK to be sexist? I think a crazed woman would rather run in the street naked than shoot people. Just isn’t lady-like. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/53 "2012-12-20T05:04:45Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > Let me know if you Dopers can see my Ipad mobile youtube cites above…Fyi they show women shooting even a handgun, with the recoil slamming the gun back into their faces, even knocking them out. If you cant watch them just go to youtube and search “girl” “recoil” Alas, I can’t see your YouTube cites. But women are quite capable of shooting even large handguns IF they’re taught the proper stance and grip first, and IF they get some practice with a smaller caliber first (which is how any new shooter, male or female, should begin). The women in those YouTube clips probably had never shot a gun before, and some jerk handed them a large caliber gun like a .357 Magnum and said “Try this!”. For some reason, some people find that hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/54 "2012-12-20T05:29:43Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > Alas, I can’t see your YouTube cites. But women are quite capable of shooting even large handguns IF they’re taught the proper stance and grip first, and IF they get some practice with a smaller caliber first (which is how any new shooter, male or female, should begin). I don’t have a link, but on another forum someone answered the claim that women couldn’t shoot by posting an interesting video of a woman in some combat shooting competition. She certainly seemed to have no problem with dodging around barriers while accurately & quickly shooting targets. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/55 "2012-12-20T18:19:31Z")
Spree killing has pretty much always been associated with young males. The current emotionally charged discussions about gun control entirely overlook the fact that there have been spree killings since long before the days of firearms. [Running amok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_amok) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/56 "2012-12-20T18:54:28Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I don’t have a link, but on another forum someone answered the claim that women couldn’t shoot by posting an interesting video of a woman in some combat shooting competition. She certainly seemed to have no problem with dodging around barriers while accurately & quickly shooting targets. And in particular, current generation assault rifles are designed for light, manageable recoil. Plus a number of male spree shooters have not exactly had Ramboesque physiques. It may be that there being fewer women who bother to get the training and practice to efficiently sow rapid fire could relate to it being somewhat strenuous \*to the novice \*, but then you get into whether you have the motivation to get over that learning curve. One could theorize that throughout most of our existence as a species, where until very recently personal weapons required physical strength to be wielded effectively, the lesser brute force of human females made their survival strategy move in the direction of specializing in subtler and more focused ways to hurt an adversary. ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/57 "2012-12-21T06:46:55Z")
here are the same video cites, this time they work on a pc [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jkQfNil3UuI/hqdefault.jpg "Girl Nearly Killed By Desert Eagle Recoil") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkQfNil3UuI) and [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vfGUF8T-dUM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGHIgWSgRMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAVrvv3YtVYK5F1-il0dZ5zxKbRYg "Recoil Music Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfGUF8T-dUM) well worth watching ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/58 "2012-12-21T18:08:51Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I’ve also wondered in the past, why we never hear about women pedophiles. Really? There’s been increasing reports since the 1990’s of women pedophiles – high school teachers sleeping with boys in their classrooms. In the 1990’s the tales were newsworthy for their rarity; now they’re becoming so commonplace that there’s a term for the _older woman hunting for young boys_: cougar. We just hope the frequency doesn’t rise to the point that incidents are no longer considered newsworthy – like muggings and petty thefts are pretty much ignored in big city newspapers. –G! Mister Saturday Night Special You got a barrel that’s blue and cold You ain’t good for nothin’ ‘cept puttin’ a man six feet in a hole …–Ronnie Van Zant (Lynrd Skynrd) …_Saturday Night Special_ …Nuthin’ Fancy ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/59 "2012-12-22T18:28:17Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > Really? > There’s been increasing reports since the 1990’s of women pedophiles – high school teachers sleeping with boys in their classrooms. In the 1990’s the tales were newsworthy for their rarity; now they’re becoming so commonplace that there’s a term for the _older woman hunting for young boys_: cougar. The slang term “cougar” generally refers to a middle aged woman trying to sleep with younger\* men\*. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474/60 "2012-12-22T18:39:07Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > Because we can get laid whenever we want? Pedophilia has as much to do with rejection as homosexuality does - nothing whatsoever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-women-go-on-shooting-sprees/644474.md?page=2)