Mass Shooting and Mental Illness - Coursework Example

Mass Shooting Mass shooting is a term used to describe incidences that involve more than one victims of gun shooting and violence. Furthermore, those that perpetrate gun violence are referred to serial killers, mass murderers or spree killers. According to the FBI crime report, a mass murderer is described as a person who kills more than four people in the event of an attack excluding the attacker (Follman, What Exactly Is a Mass Shooting?, 2012). However, the FBI distinguishes a spree killer from mass murderer because the former strikes in more than one location, but in relatively within a short time period (Follman, What Exactly Is a Mass Shooting?, 2012). The FBI report also suggest that a serial killer is different from mass murderer and spree killer in that it takes a serial killer a longer time to kill people in different locations with ‘cooling off periods’ from one attack to another (Follman, What Exactly Is a Mass Shooting?, 2012). The American society has experienced unprecedented mass murders from time to time making the government raise concern of the causes of the mass shooting and how it can be remedied. Most recent in November 2009, a mass shooting occurred in Fort Hood killing three and injuring 16 people while the gunman also taking his own life (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). Moreover, in July 2012 another mass killing occurred at a movie theater in the State of Colorado (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). In the same year in August another mass shooting occurred in Wisconsin in a Silk temple and in September Minneapolis suffered the blow of mental illness and mass killing. However, what shocked the country the most is massacre that occurred in an elementary school in December 2012 in Connecticut (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). These are a few of the tragedies of mass shooting in the United States of America. It is recorded that since 1982 the country has encountered 67 mass killing and gun violence that is targeted on innocent citizens as they carry out their daily activities (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). The victim has suffered great loss as a result mental disorders of a few people who turn their anger to violence and killing. The government has taken an analysis of the occurrence of mass shooting and recorder each events, victims, gun used, assailant mental condition and family background. According to the history of the mass shooting a total of 143 guns were used in the recent past , and three quarter of them were acquired legally while a quarter were illegally owned (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). The killer’s always use a high profiled semi-automatic handguns that has a capability of causing severe damage. Jeffrey Weise had a 40-caliber Glock that killed students in Red Lake, Minnesota, and so did James Holmes kill his target victim with an AR-15 rifle (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). In New Town, Adam Lanza used a 223 Bushmaster to massacre 20 children and six teachers (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). Therefore, the deviant of the killers come out normal people who qualifies for holding guns, but out of illness and mental disorder they turn their agony to other people. The most places where mass shooting has ever occurred are in schools and workplace. However, few instances of the tragedies have occurred in shopping malls, government buildings, restaurants and places of worship. Moreover, of the 67 mass shooting that have occurred in the recent past, 44 of the killers were white males with only one white women (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). Moreover, the average of the accused killers has been found to be 35 years though there are instances where children as young as 11 years have committed to mass shooting (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2014). The majority of the mass shooting incidences have been linked to mental troubles to almost all killers that have been interdicted and the medical history of those that takes their own life immediately after they attack other people. Though gun merchants take stringent measures to ensure they sell ammunition to a person of sound mind; the mental- health system did not work out when Jared Loughner purchased a gun legally over the counter. According to Patricia Maisch, he helped Loughner reload the gun thinking he was of a right mind. However, Loughner has had a mental challenge since he was in high school (Follman, Mass Shooting: Maybe What We Need Is a Better Mental-Health Policy, 2012). While in school, Loughner was complaining of voices inside his head and experienced outbursts when the class was ongoing. Therefore, gun violence can be attributed to mental ill health which if addressed early enough would prevent the increased mass shooting of people in the country. Moreover, Jared Loughner had had a criminal record before he committed the January 2012 mass shooting. According to Follman, majority of perpetrators of mass murder acquire guns legally, but most of them have been found to suffer from depression, stress, delusions and acute paranoia (Follman, Mass Shooting: Maybe What We Need Is a Better Mental-Health Policy, 2012). This is evidenced by the killer committing suicide in the scene or near the scene of the incidence. According to the police report, the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass killers, Adam Lanza suffered from acute mental illness. He shoots his own mother before he proceeded to a nearby Elementary school. These are a few people who have made the national dialogue conclude that the gun violence is as a result of mental illness. However, there are so many people who are mentally ill and do not engage in violence therefore, it would be unscientific to conclude that mass shooting is solely caused by mental challenges. Moreover, people with severe mental illness have a high chance of committing violence more than any other person (Guns, Public Health and mental Illness: An Evidence-Based Approach for State Policy, 2013). Depression also elevate a person risk of committing suicide or run rampage killing other people. Mass murder was not considered a serious issue in American society in the past few decades. Criminologist associated mass shooting to homicide and theorized it causes to criminological theories that explain other crimes (Fox & DeLateur, 2013). Other criminal justice department and criminologist viewed mass killing as a result of psychopathology or caused by individuals psychosis and thus better analyzed through psychiatry engagement. Moreover, some people argued that the incidences of mass shooting are rare and are unworthy of any significant study or research attention (Fox & DeLateur, 2013). Mass murderers have been condemned of killing indiscriminately by a snap or go berserk, but it has been found that this myth to be untrue. Mass murderers plan and meditate their action way before they attack. They do not attack as a result of an explosion of rage, but rather a well-planned process of how to execute killing (Fox & DeLateur, 2013).The preparation involves identification of a pace to attack, when to attack and who to target as well as the appropriate weapon that can meet the killers intensions. Mass murderer are deliberate and determined to kill and harm people no matter the obstacle that faces them in their plans. One of the example that demonstrates that mass murderers plan their mission is the Columbine High School massacre. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold chose the day of their attack to coincide with Hitler’s birthday. It was out of their admiration of the world most feared dictator that they spent more time planning in woods on their marksmanship skills (Fox & DeLateur, 2013). Klebold and Harris conceived more plan of hijacking an airplane should they survive the mass shooting. The detailed planning do explain the calm demeanor that characterize mass murderers. Those that have ever witnessed gun shooting of these murderers says that they always appear relaxed, laughing or smiling while expediting gun shot to innocent individuals. Mass murderer are known to abide and practice a mental script until they are comfortable that their mission will succeed. The motive behind mass murderers is one or a combination of revenge, power, loyalty, terror and pursuit of profits. Most of the mass murderer are school dropout or people who have failed in their careers, and they blame society for their incapability. For this reason, they engage in mass killings as a revenge of his suffering. There are other who want to show off their ‘pseudo-commando’ power when waging a personal war toward the society. Moreover, devoted husband kills their family to spare them the trouble and suffering and reunite them in the afterlife world. Other mass murderers expedite political terrorism and dissident to perceived opponent populations. This act as a warning or a coded message of power within certain groups in society. Lastly, mass murderer eliminate key witnesses who might vindicate them thereafter. In the U.S majority of mass murderers has been found to be motivated by revenge more than any other incidences (Fox & DeLateur, 2013). However, mental disorder influences the urge for revenge while post traumatic disorders affect retired officer to engage in gun violence. Ivan Lopez was under medication for post-traumatic disorder before he violently started shooting fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. Psychiatrist expert says that though mental illness influences patients to act violently most people respond well to treatment and recover fully. It is thus unpredictable to determine when a mass shooting may occur and prevent it. There is a distinction between violence and mental illness, but most people do not disassociate one from the other. According to Carl Bell, it is difficult to predict who among the psychic will be violent and who will not. He says that Lopex an officer who engaged in the mass shooting in Fort Hood has shown no indication of involvement of violence period before the massacre (Shapiro, 2014). An analysis by Central Intelligence Exchange (CFIX) concluded that 79% of incidences of the mass shooting since 2011 have been perpetrated by people with behavioral health issues (Public Intelligence, 2013). Moreover, majority of sample also related violence to mental illness. The data according to CFIX has a high significant confidence level that link mental illness to act of violence and mass shooting. One of the factors that contribute to mental illness and the resultant mass shooting is the existence of the social problem in the society. Children below 10 years are today being exposed to dysfunction families, abuses and mistreatment and thus fall prey of mental disorders. The child upbringing contributes to his successes in later life and those that fail to make a successful future end up questioning his family members and other members of the community. Moreover, lack of enough thoughtful explanations lead to such individual blaming others and constructs how to revenge for his shortcoming. Therefore, social policies ought not to pay attention to mental illness alone, but should focus attention in betterment of the children welfare. Moreover, mental illness should be taken seriously by family members and the society at large. This should be done to prevent the advancement of serious mental condition that lead to patients engaging in crime and violence. Furthermore, though it may not be possible because there are many people who suffer from a mental challenge, it is important to incapacitate patient with acute mental illness until when there conditions improves. This would help mental patient from causing damage unto themselves and also to other citizens. Another factor worth discussion is on gun control. Of all the incidences of the mass shooting almost all the murderers have licensed gun and thereby question the safety of citizens holding gun among themselves. It is very risk having guns in our homes because the safe rifle used to protect is also unleashed to the bearers by their children or is used by the holders to commit suicide. Pundits have over time and again written commentaries urging for gun control legislation. People should not have the right to hold guns as it would deny killers efficient way of ruthlessly killing people in a span of a minute without giving out victim a chance to escape the scene of the tragedy. Mass shooting can be explained as a gun problem because it is these ammunitions that are used to execute people by mentally ill individuals. Mass shooting is a mental health delinquent. According to Park Dietz, a forensic psychiatrist, nowhere has he encountered a patient who was not partially interested in committing suicide. He says that depression is easily treatable and could help reduce suicide and occasional prevalence of the mass shooting. However, not all agrees to the notion that relate mass killing to the mental problem. For example, Levin and Fox argue that mass killers are people who engage in such heinous crime because of the craze or because they are glassily eyed lunatics. According to them murderers are normal ordinary people. In addition, they delinked mass killing from a mental problem because it is an unpredictable occurrence of the event and all other human ailment have a process that lead from one stage to another, but in mass killings there are no warning signs (Duwe, 2005). Mass murder has also been experienced in work places and have been labelled a work related problem. As the increase in the mass shooting hit the major town in the United States, a movement of established to heighten the awareness of violence in the workplaces. In 1986, Patrick Sherrill engaged fellow college in a gun battle killing 14 people and wounding six in Edmond, Oklahoma. After these event scholars, called for a review of work related stress and depression and the relationship between employees. However, though the occurrence is in the workplace and not in the public does not detach mass murder from mental illness. Moreover, people mental illness are more often aggravated to the nature of the job they engage in their life. Environment that are stressful aggrevate severity of mental that increases the chances of people engaging in gun violence and unlawful behaviours in the work places. Almost all mass shooting incidences demonstrate a failure of violence prevention mechanism. It would be different if policies established to deter crime have ever manager to stop mass shooting in the school, theater andworkplaces. The laxity of policy that secure school from intruders suggest that there need more action to prevent future incidences of mass murder. However, there has been cases where informant especially girls reports boys bragging of their intended action to cause harm to other students. Only for the help of the informant that police has ever been able to swart a mass killing spree plan, but no other measures set out by the authority has proved effective. Nevertheless, mass murders are unpredictable, and because murders are mostly psychic they solely plan and execute their mission without informing anyone even close friend who most often fall prey of the shooting. In conclusion, mass killing is mostly caused by mental sickness more than any other causes as it has been documented that past mass murderers have a history of psychological and mental problem prior to their attack. Therefore, to help address the situation the government and other stakeholders ought to establish better ways of handling mental illness even if it is through narrative therapy and other counselling techniques. References Duwe, G. (2005). A Circle of Distortion: The Social Construction of Mass Murder in the United States. Western Criminology Review, 59-78. Follman, M. (2012, November 09). Mass Shooting: Maybe What We Need Is a Better Mental-Health Policy. Retrieved from Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/jared-loughner-mass-shootings-mental-illness. Follman, M. (2012, August 24). What Exactly Is a Mass Shooting? Retrieved from Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/08/what-is-a-mass-shooting Follman, M., Aronsen, G., & Pan, D. (2014, April 02). Guide to Mass Shooting in America. Retrieved from Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map Fox, J. A., & DeLateur, M. J. (2013, December 18). Mass Shootings in America: Moving Beyond Newtown. Retrieved from Sagepub.com: http://dropbox.curry.com/ShowNotesArchive/2013/12/NA-576-2013-12-22/Assets/War%20on%20Crazy/Homicide%20Studies-2013.pdf Guns, Public Health and mental Illness: An Evidence-Based Approach for State Policy. (2013, December 02). Retrieved from Jhsph.Edu: http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/publications/GPHMI-State.pdf Public Intelligence. (2013, August 21). Retrieved from Public Intelligence: http://publicintelligence.net/mass-shootings-mental-illness/ Shapiro, J. (2014, April 03). Shooting Unfairly Links Violence With Mental Illness-Again. Retrieved from National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/04/03/298752099/shooting-unfairly-links-violence-with-mental-illness-again Read More