Robert E. Bartholomew

Bob Rickard

This book comprehensively surveys the colorful history of mass hysteria and kindred phenomena in schools--from outbreaks of demonic possession during witchcraft scares to twitching and shaking epidemics in 19th century European schools, to more contemporary incidents of collapsing bands, itching frenzies, ghost panics and mystery illnesses. The authors trace strange behaviors and illnesses in students through the centuries. Possessed children went into trance states and began to bark like dogs in 16th and 17th century Holland; an outbreak of Tourette's-like symptoms struck schoolgirls in western New York in 2011 and 2012. Many episodes are from the United States and separate chapters detail accounts from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Some take issue with the term "mass hysteria" and consider its use derogatory to females but it remains entrenched in the scientific lexicon. Most reports in this book involve a preponderance of females: this may reflect the social conditioning of females and not any innate predisposition.

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