Abstract
This chapter discusses the fundamentals of mental illness and violence. There is a substantial difference between medical and scientifically based definitions of mental illness and violence when compared with the words and phrases commonly used in broadcast media and other non-scientific outlets. Unfortunately, the use of loosely defined terms such as crazy, mad, and mentally ill can have a substantial stigmatizing effect when used to describe perpetrators of violence, often inhibiting individuals who actually suffer from mental health problems from voluntarily seeking out help and care. Although there is some evidence to suggest that this form of stigmatization is the result of the need to identify scapegoats as a way to explain violence, social interaction theory can also provide alternative explanations of the common general fear of mentally ill. More specifically, Collins theory of social interaction rituals is used to explain how interactions can work during and after an event such as a mass shooting.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ahonen, L. (2012). Changing behaviors or behavioral change? A study of moral development and transbehavioral processes in juvenile institutional care. (Doctoral thesis), Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
Ahonen, L., Loeber, R., & Brent, D. A. (2017). The association between serious mental health problems and violence: Some common assumptions and misconceptions. Trauma Violence Abuse, 1524838017726423. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017726423.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental of mental disorders (5th ed.). VA: Arlington.
Blumenthal, S., & Lavender, T. (2001). Violence and mental disorder: A critical aid to the assessment and management of risk. London, England: Jessica Kingsley.
Bowlby, J. (1997/1969). Attachment and loss. London, UK: The Hogarth Press.
Collins, R. (2004). Interaction ritual chains. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Collins, E. (2018). Insane: James Holmes, Clark v. Arizona, and America’s insanity defense. Journal of Law & Health, 31, 33–54.
Fazel, S., Gulati, G., Linsell, L., Geddes, J. R., & Grann, M. (2009). Schizophrenia and violence: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med, 6(8), e1000120. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000120.
Janis, I. L. (1972). Victims of groupthink. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Janis, I. L. (1982). Groupthink: Psychological studies of policy decisions and fiascos (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Knoll, J. L., & Resnick, P. J. (2008). Insanity defense evaluations- Basic procedures and best practices. Psychiatric Times, 25(14). Retrieved from http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/risk-assessment/insanity-defense-evaluations-basic-procedure-and-best-practices.
Kohn, R., Saxena, S., Levav, I., & Saraceno, B. (2004). The treatment gap in mental health care. Bull World Health Organ, 82(11), 858–866. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0042-96862004001100011.
Krug, E. G., Dahlberg, L. L., Mercy, J. A., Zwi, A. B., & Lozano, R. (Eds.). (2002a). World report on violence and health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
Krug, E. G., Mercy, J. A., Dahlberg, L. L., & Zwi, A. B. (2002b). The world report on violence and health. Lancet, 360(9339), 1083–1088. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11133-0.
Newcomb, T. M. (1956). The prediction of interpersonal attraction. American Psychologist, 11(11), 575–586.
Piaget, J. (1929). The child’s conception of the world. London, UK: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Taylor, P. J. (2008). Psychosis and violence: Stories, fears, and reality. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(10), 647–659. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370805301004.
Vinkers, D. J., de Beurs, E., Barendregt, M., Rinne, T., & Hoek, H. W. (2012). Proportion of crimes attributable to mental disorders in the Netherlands population. World Psychiatry, 11(2), 134.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ahonen, L. (2019). Crazy, Mad, Insane, or Mentally Ill?. In: Violence and Mental Illness. SpringerBriefs in Criminology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18750-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18750-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-18749-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-18750-7
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)