Crime And Mental Disorder

Introduction

Mental illness and crime have a very close link with each other. The complex and the sophisticated relationship between both came under discussion by numerous psychological researchers. Those individuals having problems with anxiety, depression, or another form of mental disorder can have a criminal act. The number of people who require help, and in this regard, mental disorders are still higher than the availability of professionals. Similarly, among the youth, criminal actions are increasing along with their mental disorders. In federal and other state prisons, there are around fifty per cent of the male prisoners, and seventy per cent of the female prisoners are facing some kind of mental disorder. The local jails are comprised of seventy-five per cent women and sixty per cent male individuals who have a need for mental health care recovery.

Discussion

Mental illness can affect and influence an individual’s criminal act. Media and other organizations are spreading negativity about the people who are facing any kind of mental disease. The most important thing is the disassociation of individuals from any kind of criminal activity. People generally have the assumption that any person who has committed a crime must have certain mental issues. These people do not have reality-based evidence or any proof of how psychologically ill persons are involved in criminality. Not all individuals with mental issues are criminals. Some might be involved due to their craziness and overaction. An individual was arrested on the charge of house firing.

The fire department, through investigation, has revealed that the man was building homemade bombs. During the proceedings of the trial, it was also revealed that the person was facing severe problems of mental health. He has been seeking the intervention for many years, but no change has occurred in his mind. During the court proceedings, the judge remarks that it is so sad how individuals have treatment which results in the violence and firing of a building. The court ordered the conditional imprisonment of the person along with regular psychological intervention (Metzl, 2015). Reacting to the decision of the court, many people have the opinion that mental issues should not be the excuse for a person to commit a crime; instead, he must face certain harsh punishment. The reaction of the people reveals that the media has no idea about the behavioural aspects and influences of the irrational attitude of the mentally ill person.

The non-availability of realistic information in the media is spreading among people about the relationship between mental illness and crime, leading to the open space for people to make unrealistic assumptions. They believe that mentally disabled individuals have erratic and dangerous behaviour. They also pass their ideas to others, which resulted in the creation of a stigma of the mentally ill as violent criminals. The psychological illness also affects the rational capabilities and actions of the individual person. Some people have the observation that such type of ill people should be locked up in jail in order to avoid social and personal damage from crazy individuals.

Proper and professional intervention can help people recover their rational will and thoughts. The person who was involved in the attempt of bombing has regret for his action after going through the process of psychological intervention. The statement and the acknowledgement of the person reveal that he was realistically facing the issues of a mental disorder (Coker, 2014). If his stance was not considered and the authorities sent him to jail while charging him as a crazy person, it might lead to more disaster for the individual and the community in general. In the case, the court has remarked that jails are not intervention centres.

Before putting anyone in jail on the charge of a criminal act, authorities must consider the fact that there might be some psychological or mental issues. Punishments should be according to the type and the nature of the case. The time in jail is not the solution for the mentally ill person. Rather, it will hamper the already worse situation. In the same way, when we separate the stigma from reality, it makes a difference in the lives of criminals. Similarly, after the mass shooting incidents and other associated tragedies, there seems to be a problem of mental instability. Certain media personnel and reporters cover the story under the stigma of mental health.

In the same cases of mass shootings or high-profile killings, there is evidence of the problem of mental illness. Committing such an atrocity is not the act of a sane and rational man. We are not focusing on the mental problems as the soul issues behind the killing of many people, instead, we argue for the involvement of ill mind in committing undue action. Despite the complex and sophisticated mental illness, people just throw their ideas and consider the issue as a blanket statement (Buchanan, 2017). The shooting at the church in Sutherland, Texas, by David Patrick killed around twenty-seven individuals. The shooter also killed himself. Voices raised for the reformation in the gun control policies and programs. However, some sensible individuals are debating whether the man has the problem of mental illness or not.

The speculations regarding the issue have resulted in coverage of news which stigmatizes the illness of the mind. The discussion and the conversation are right in their nature and work type, as it happens that most mental illness plays an important role in criminal activity. The issue is how people converse with each other. In the same way, the complexities underlying mental problems are not tackled properly. The issue, if not addressed professionally, leaves the space open for thinking that people’s instability in their minds is very dangerous. A kind of threat then comes out of ill health people, and society hesitates to recognize them as their members. Those persons having certain mental issues, if counter by affection, love and positive relationships, can have the ability to play positive roles rather than killing people.

Normal people and the members of society are also affected by the media coverage of certain criminal activity. If an individual feels that media is stigmatizing mental illness in certain coverage, he/she must turn away from that particular channel in order to avoid the influence of the coverage. It is because of the factor that an individual needs to take care of himself. The individual can have the facility of strengthening his/her mental health stigma. Similarly, regular contact with the therapist and psychologist will enhance people’s ability to deal with any kind of criminal activity.

Conclusion

Concluding the discussion, the mental disorder has a considerable effect on the criminal behaviour of an individual. Certain suicidal and mass shooting cases have revealed that mental instability could lead to the massive destruction of the community. Data on prisoners in different states of the United States also support the idea that the majority of criminals are passing their lives with some kind of mental illness. In the jails, they are becoming more depressed and cruel to the dealing of the correctional officers. Society of Americans has a significant need for highly professional psychologists who will help criminals and other individuals play a positive role in the development of the community.

References

Metzl, J. M., & MacLeish, K. T. (2015). Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms. American journal of public health, 105(2), 240-249.

Coker, K. L., Smith, P. H., Westphal, A., Zonana, H. V., & McKee, S. A. (2014). Crime and psychiatric disorders among youth in the US population: an analysis of the national comorbidity survey–adolescent supplement. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(8), 888-898.

Buchanan, A., & Wootton, L. (Eds.). (2017). Care of the mentally disordered offender in the community. Oxford University Press.