Citation

Mahoney RT. Violence Gend. 2015; 2(4): 192-199.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/vio.2015.0044

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Across the complete fabric of our national life, we feel the need as never before to be secure from the threat of violence. This is particularly true of mass violence and murder. It has become mandatory that we identify and review the human factors that result in these horrific violent acts. Two recent documents address the role of mental illness in these acts. The first document, a Naval Postgraduate School thesis, points to past and ongoing efforts and research that attempts to identify a number of behavioral drivers relating to violence. This is done in hopes of formulating a predictive protocol that can be used by all the professions who are called upon to address and prevent this violence, and identify the individuals responsible before they can carry out that violence. The second document, the Sandy Hook Commission report, provides the analysis of the relationship between mental illness and the occurrence of violence. These excellent documents describe the evolving opinions about the role mental illness plays as a direct causative factor in these acts of violence, but the corollary between them, at least as known and defined in accepted forms of mental illness, remains unclear. There is an obvious difference of opinion between the authors on that point, but what is clear is that they both agree that there is mounting evidence that mental illness when combined with other forms of aberrant mental conditions and personality disorders, in combination with dangerous lifestyles, appears to have a part to play in the cause-and-effect relationship of overt violence. The addition of threat, risk, and dangerousness in the analysis of those who may become violent is also to be considered. The usefulness of a predictive protocol used by multiple professions is also discussed.

Language: en