Ben Agger, a professor of sociology and the humanities at the University of Texas at Arlington, is the author of more than 15 books, including the forthcoming “There is a Gunman on Campus: Tragedy and Terror at Virginia Tech.”

Agger spoke with Staff Writer Jackie Palochko about his upcoming book and the reality of shootings on college campuses in light of those at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Jackie Palochko: What made you decide to write this book?

Ben Agger: I have some close friends who teach at [Virginia] Tech. And also the insanity of someone walking into a college classroom and just opening fire. I can certainly imagine myself in that context, as a teacher. ... Of course, I was already interested in Columbine. ... I still find Columbine unbelievable, unreal to the extent of the mayhem and the psychology of the shooters. I think it’s fairly easy to trace a line between Columbine and Tech and now the Northern Illinois shooting. So, I think this is becoming some social problem or an example of social pathology.

JP: Do you see any similarities between the Northern Illinois shooting and Virginia Tech?

AG: The methodology is identical. He wears black, and he goes into a classroom and blasts away. Now we don’t know if he had a grievance against the teacher, if he knew kids in the class. But that’s identical. That’s a copycat, in the literal sense of the word. He’s using Tech as his framework or template. Are the psychological dynamics the same? Who knows. At some level, yes, these are guys crossing the line, they decide to wreak havoc. The other important thing to realize is that these are not just mass murders. They’re also suicides. Murder-suicide. This guy decided to kill himself.

JP: How do you think these shootings are changing our country?

BA: They make deadly violence more routine. And in a sense, more acceptable. ... Northern Illinois is a lot less shocking than Virginia Tech, except for those involved. Not just because fewer were killed, but [also] because we’ve already lived through Virginia Tech.

JP: How are these shootings changing the way we view higher education?

AG: I think they have the potential of turning universities into armed campuses and really removing and erasing the boundary of the university as a safe conclave from the rest of society.

JP: What did the Virginia Tech shootings mean for America?

BA: The danger of social isolation is very real. Also, and this goes back to Columbine: bullying … may be the most important thing. You can be in a group, a large college or social institution and feel very estranged. So much so that your self-esteem plummets and you do harm to yourself and others. The third thing we learned is that the media plays a role. We learn every esquiete detail of the shootings. And as such, this just calls out or cries out for copycatting. The Northern Illinois guy watched the same coverage we did.

JP: What makes a student become a shooter?

BA: A sense of desperation, a sense of alienation. Being alone in a crowd. Not having adequate social ties. Not having a shoulder to cry on. Not having mentoring, not having love, not having self-esteem. What pushes people over the edge? Especially with the Virginia Tech guy, there is a component of mental illness. One thing I suspect that pushes them over the edge is simply the fact of these shootings having happened before. Because unless someone really demonstrates to me otherwise, the Northern Illinois shooter must have had Virginia Tech in mind. So now, we’re playing out a kind of drama into which people might insert themselves.

JP: Are there any warning signs a student may show, and what can be done to help?

AG: The best we can do is for faculty to troubleshoot and identify students who appear troubled. … I’m not looking here for punishment; I’m looking here for reaching out and really addressing and engaging with kids who seem marginal. … Faculty and students have opportunities to build those bridges and unless we do that, no amount of early warning systems will really solve the problem.

JP: Why do you think there are more male shooters as opposed to female shooters?

AG: They’re primarily men who shoot. And Northern Illinois, four out of the five students killed were women because of what I call “male gun culture.” We’ve trained, brought up and socialized young men to express themselves in violent ways, and that’s a very tragic story. Instead of dealing with their problems and getting in touch with their problems, and leaning on others for help, they behave murderously. Young men need to find ways to deal with their anger.

JP: What should colleges do to prevent another tragedy like this from happening?

AG: People need to reach out and take the risk of befriending or at least building bridges with students in their academic community who appear troubled, marginal, problematic. And in doing so they run the risk of violating their privacy, but they still have to take the risk. It’s better to take the risk than have another Virginia Tech or Northern Illinois happen. … Also, universities should worry less about violating rights of privacy.