Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work, William Paterson University
Dr. Jason R. Silva is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work at William Paterson University. His research examines mass shootings, terrorism, school violence, and media coverage of crime. Silva recently developed the Global Mass Shooting Database to understand and compare perpetrator motivations and strategies for intervention and prevention. His recent publications have appeared in Aggression and Violent Behavior, American Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Policy Review, International Criminal Justice Review, International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, Justice Quarterly, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Security Journal, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Violence against Women, and Victims & Offenders. Silva has been a featured mass shooting and firearm violence expert for media outlets including CBS, Denver Post, NBC, Newsweek, and USA Today. His work has also appeared in CNN, New York Magazine, NPR, Oxygen, and The Conversation.
Introducing the Global Mass Shooting Factsheet
June 22, 2026
Mass shootings remain far more common in the United States, but new global data show these attacks are increasingly affecting countries around the world. Continue Reading...
Public Mass Shootings Around the World: Prevalence, Context, and Prevention
February 20, 2024
In a new analysis, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium member Jason Silva highlights research on global mass shootings and strategies for prevention and harm mitigation. Continue Reading...
What We Know About Foiled and Failed Mass School Shootings
August 10, 2022
Using data from 2000 to 2019, this brief examines completed, attempted, failed, and foiled mass shootings in schools for insights into shooter demographics, target selection, and mechanisms for thwarting these events. Continue Reading...