Vuori et al./ Western Criminology Review 14(3), 1-15 (2013) 1 Online citation: Vuori, Miika, James Hawdon, Oksanen Atte, and Pekka Räsänen. 2013. “Collective Crime as a Source of Social Solidarity: A Tentative Test of a Functional Model for Responses to Mass Violence.” Western Criminology Review 14(3): 1-15. Collective Crime as a Source of Social Solidarity: A Tentative Test of a Functional Model for Responses to Mass Violence Miika Vuori University of Turku (Finland) James Hawdon Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University Oksanen Atte National Research Institute of Legal Policy (Finland) Pekka Räsänen University of Turku (Finland) Abstract: According to a classic notion by Durkheim, crime can lead to a collective indignation that is expressed through collective displays of solidarity. However, it is also possible that collective crimes represent a decline of the social order and a loss of community. Using two cross-sectional data sets collected in Finnish communities that experienced tragic school shootings, this article provides a tentative test of these two competing hypotheses. We ask how the local communities respond to heinous crimes such as school shootings. We also ask if it is possible that concerns about crime can, at times, promote social cohesion. The results indicate that both models may be applicable; however, contextual factors appear to limit the generalizability of either model. Keywords: collective crime, emotional response to crime, fear of crime, functionalist model of crime, path analysis, school shootings, social solidarity INTRODUCTION Nordic countries have recently witnessed unexpected and extremely shocking violent events. Before Anders Breivik murdered 77 people in Utøya Norway in 2011, numerous people were killed in rampage school shootings in Finland. In November 2007, an 18-year-old man opened fire at the Jokela upper secondary school in Tuusula, killing eight students and staff members before committing suicide. In September 2008, another rampage school shooting occurred in the small town of Kauhajoki, an act portrayed as a copycat of Jokela. There, a 22-year-old male student of hospitality management killed ten people before turning the gun on himself. After these incidents, school shootings received extensive media coverage that raised intense public debates. Finnish governmental officials were forced to respond quickly to concerns about numerous issues ranging from school safety to gun laws. Officials also posited their concerns about weakened social ties and a sense of community (Ministry of Justice 2009; 2010). The perpetrators’ violent videos and messages on the Internet posted prior to the murders raised national and international concerns about the contemporary social order