The horrendous massacre of 32 Virginia Tech students by Seung-Hui Cho has caused a frenzy within the news media, talk show hosts and the general public regarding the long hypothesized link between acts of violence and mental illness. Although the true causal origin of Cho's decision to engage in a murderous rampage is beyond the grasp of modern science, popular wisdom seems to suggest that his actions were the result of delusional paranoia or psychopathology. However, this contradicts modern scientific knowledge. Individuals with a mental illness are far more likely to be the victims rather than the perpetrators of violence, while the vast majority of people who commit acts of violence against others are not in fact mentally ill.

This rush to stereotype individuals suffering from psychiatric illness as likely murderers is reckless and lacks credulity. Mental illness has no role in the majority of violent crimes committed in our society. Alcohol and substance abuse far outweigh mental illness as factors contributing to violence, while the strongest predictor of violent and/or criminal behavior is a past history of violence and criminality, not a major mental illness.

This rush to judgment obscures the fact that violence against individuals with mental health problems is a chronic problem causing ongoing fear, social isolation and a lack of confidence in those who are victimized. While it is not easy to overcome false, though deeply held, beliefs, it is essential that this false and misleading rush to stereotype those with a mental illness be confronted with facts. Otherwise, it will result in increased intolerance and potentially even violence toward the millions of Americans who currently struggle with a mental illness. Learning the facts about the true association between violent behavior and mental illness is a necessary and important first step in developing a realistic understanding of why some people choose to commit senseless acts of violence against others.

nicholas vakkur