ABSTRACT
School shootings had a dramatic impact on the local communities of both Jokela and Kauhajoki. A high proportion of community members in both towns said they were acquainted with someone who died in the shootings. This chapter focuses on local residents' experiences of school shootings in Finland. It explores the possible implications that recent critical incidents have for Finland as a Nordic welfare society. Societies in the various European countries differ from one another in terms of economic and sociopolitical environment. The chapter examines how local residents experienced the Jokela and Kauhajoki shootings, from a point of view of insecurity and uncertainty. It describes some key characteristics of the communities when the shootings took place. One of the consequences of school shootings was that the Jokela and Kauhajoki areas were given additional government funding especially for youth work, because youths were at the center of these crises.
