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Discrimination

Mental Disorder and Victimization

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Mental Disorder and Victimization

A large portion of the public continues to view the Mental illness and violence as intertwined factors. Hence, the victimization experienced by the mentally ill individuals results from the way the public regards mentally sick individuals as perilous persons. The mental health disorder affects the behavior, mood, and thinking of the victim. Examples of psychiatric disorders include; schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, depression, addictive behaviors, and eating disorders. The connection between mental disorder and violence or criminality has attracted massive attention from various researchers, especially in the United States. Most of the people and the researchers hold the notion that people suffering from psychological ailment are probable to committing acts of aggression and viciousness. A considerable portion of the public considers the mentally disordered people as dangerous individuals. The description of criminals as “crazy” persons in the media is an excellent example that shows that the public views mentally disordered persons as hazardous people. However, a large portion of the data offers a contrary view to the media regarding the connection that exists between mentally disordered people and the violence. Some research indicates that the mentally disordered persons are often victims of the fierceness and not offenders. Most of the mentally disordered individuals face biases in various fields in society; for instance, people with mental illness are charged as criminals, charged, and jailed for an extended period than regular individuals. Most of the mentally disordered persons encounter huge victimization in society.

Most of the public opinion surveys indicate that most people believe there exists a positive relationship amid the mental ailment and viciousness. For instance, a national study conducted in 2006 showed that 60% (sixty percent) of the Americans believed that individuals who have schizophrenia were likely to expected to exhibit violent acts on other people in the society (MONAHAN, 2012, p. 69). Thirty-two percent (32%) believed that persons with primary depression were likely to exhibit aggressive acts on other people in society. However, research proposes that the community perception concerning mental ailment individuals is not correct. The study showed that most of the persons that have a mental disorder are not violent, as believed by most of the people in the society (Monahan, 2012 p. 70). Despite that, a few numbers of people suffering from mental disorder practice violence and assault crimes, findings have not given enough evidence on the extent under which mental illness donates to violent behavior and the extent contributed by various factors and substance abuse towards the violence.

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Mentally disordered individuals are often the victims of the crimes rather than the perpetrators. The public perception regarding the link that exists amid mental ailment and the violence is a significant cause of the discrimination and stigma, most of the people are likely to permit the coerced treatment and forced lawful actions whenever there is an issue of violence. The assumption that is held by the public regarding the relationship that exists between mentally disordered and the violence may act as a validation for victimizing and bullying the mentally disordered individuals (Robertson, 2011, p.22). The tremendous victimization rate amongst the mentally ill have been identified; however, clinicians are never willing to take any action; the cases are never recorded in the clinical archives. Most of the mentally disordered patients encounter victimization from their spouses, friends, family members, and to some extent, members of the community. Also, most of the persons suffering from mental ailment are poor and are living in hazardous and are surrounded by impoverished neighborhoods (Robertson, 2011, p. 24). Hence, they tend to encounter a considerable risk of victimization. Research shows that 8.2% of the mentally sick individuals faced victimization in the form of criminality for four months. The rate is higher compared to the 3.1% violent victimization rate encountered by the general population. The bullying and victimization faced mentally disordered patients may trigger them to exhibit violent reactions when provoked.

Most of the persons that have mental ailment are prospective to be sufferers and not the perpetrator of the violent crimes. This statement is true since most of the violent homicides and violent crimes are undertaken by people who are not suffering from a mental disorder. Also, research indicates that most of the mentally disordered individuals exhibit more danger to themselves compare to the danger they pose to other persons in society.  A total of ninety percent (90%) of the individuals that commit suicide in the United States suffer from a mental disorder (SILVER, 2012, p. 193). This indicates that mentally disordered individuals are victims of violent actions rather than perpetrators of violence. Based on the British Crime Survey, forty-seven percent (47%) violent crime victims supposed that the offender attacked them were influenced by alcohol.

On the other hand, seventeen percent (17%)believed that the person offended them was influenced by drugs. The other survey conducted British Crime Survey indicated that thirty percent (30%) of victims supposed that persons attacked them were intoxicated by alcohol or drugs (Teasdale, 2014, p.522). Contrary to the above results, only 1% (one percent) of victims who supposed that that violent encounter occurred since criminal was having the mental ailment. Hence this survey indicates that there exists a negative relationship between mental sickness and violence. And mostly mental illness individuals end up being the victims of violent crimes rather than perpetrators.

Most of the lawmakers create ill-conceived laws associating mentally disordered persons as having a more extensive possibility of committing violent acts. Researchers have indicated that mentally disordered individuals are purposed to be victims of violence and not perpetrators. For instance, the BMJ research that was conducted in Sweden reported that mentally disordered persons in Sweden were at higher risk of encountering murder compared to regular citizens who were not suffering from a mental health condition (Silver, 2010, pp. 2017). Hence, this is significant evidence to show that mentally disordered people are purposed to be sufferers of violent crimes and not offenders of violence. Patients that have a staid mental disorder are prone to the victimization of violence throughout the community. Individuals suffering from mental illness experience; a disordered thought process, poor planning, impulsive planning, and poor problem-solving. Hence these symptoms tend to interfere with a person’s capability to notice the risks and develop strategies to defend oneself. Thus mental illness persons tend to become susceptible to various forms of assault in society.

The mental illness patients suffer greatest as victims of the violence in society. The victimization of mentally disordered persons in the community harms the victim’s quality of life. During the mental health emergency, people tend to face the police encounter as opposed to the way they receive medical attention. Hence, research shows that a total of two million people with mental disorders tend to find themselves in jail every year. About fifteen percent (15%), and thirty percent (30%) of men and women found in prisons has a severe mental disorder. Most of the people that are in jail are not violent criminals; most of them are yet to be sentenced to the crime, whereas others are serving minor crimes and short sentences (Silver, 2012, pp. 198). While in jail, most of the mentally disordered individuals do not adequate treatment for their illness; hence they continue getting worse (Blitz, 2008, pp. 387). Thus, this can be viewed as a form of victimization experienced by mentally ill individuals. People with mental health conditions tend to be incarcerated for a longer period in jail compared to the rest of the individuals who do not have a mental disorder. The victimization they encounter in prison worsens their mental health condition; thus, this is a clear indication that the mental illness individuals are mostly victims of the mental condition and not the perpetrator.

After being released from jail, most of the mental illness individuals do not have proper access to adequate healthcare services and benefits. Also, the criminal record makes them encounter difficulties while seeking job opportunities or even housing. Thus, numerous mental illness individuals that do not have support from family members, or access to adequate services of mental health end up being homeless (Hiday, 2014, pp.79). Hence most of them encounter re-arrestment most of the time. Research suggests that more than eighty-three percent (83%) of individuals in jail that has a mental illness do not access adequate health services. Thus this is a good indication that people with mental illness often become victims of crimes rather than the perpetrators of crime.

People having mental ailments tend to be excluded by the community; hence they live in isolated places that are more dangerous. They tend to experience limited socioeconomic conditions; thus, this raises their chances of facing the victimization. Also, mentally disordered individuals who participate in criminal actions encounter a vast probability of facing victimization compared to the rest of the population that does not have a mental disorder (Turner, 2013, pp.22). This is caused by cognitive impairment. Thus mental sickness individuals are expected to be victims of criminality rather than perpetrators. Also, based on the studies conducted in Australia and the United States, showed that women suffering from mental sickness encountered a higher rate of sexual abuse.

In contrast, men encountered tremendous physical abuse (Silver, 2011, pp.52). The mental illness individuals tend to experience sexual and physical victimization throughout their lives compared to the rest of the population that does not have mental disorders. Thus mental illness individuals are often victims of crimes and not perpetrators of the crime.

According to the research carried out in Australia and America, the mental illness individuals that reside in the streets record a higher rate of victimization. The discharging of these patients has made the rate of the victimization to rise in the streets. However, the research did not identify whether the patients went to the streets after victimization, or before victimization. But all the same, it presents evidence that mental illness encounter victimization and are not perpetrators of violence. The research indicates that; most of them may opt to move to the streets after suffering from domestic violence. Contextual and social factors can interact in clinical areas to produce disruptive and violent behaviors (Teplin, 2013, pp. 916).  In hospitals, clinical areas with no mental illness individuals exhibit a high rate of violence and aggressive behaviors; this indicates that mental illness is not a sufficient causative factor of violence. Research indicates that the rate of violence in the clinical settings can be attributed to other various factors overcrowding, lack of effective leadership, ward atmosphere, and the existence of poorly designed activities.

The social attitude towards people living with mental illness acts as a form of oppression to the mentally disordered individuals. Most of the people in society regard mental illness individuals as violent people, and hence exclude them from society. The exclusion causes mental illness individuals to suffer humiliation and loneliness. Thus this acts as a form of victimization (Maniglio, 2016, pp.187). The public instills stigmatization towards the mentally ill individuals; they consider them as dangerous people. Society should develop initiatives and programs necessary to treat them rather than viewing them as violent persons who should not exist in society. Mentally ill persons should be treated with dignity and not as outcasts of society since they are not as dangerous as they are believed to be. The public needs to change its perception towards the mentally disordered individuals.

In conclusion, most people associate mental sickness with violent acts; however, various studies indicate that mental illness is not a sufficient causative factor of violence. Most of the mental illness often suffer as sufferers of violence and not the culprits of violence. Mental illness is not a sufficient, nor necessary causative factor of violence. The major causes of the violence are social-economic and demographic factors and not the mental illness as supposed by most of the people. Most of the individuals over-emphasize on the connection between violence and psychological ailment. However, this is not always the case; most of the mental illness encounter suffer as victims of violence and not perpetrators as believed by most of the people in the society. Mental illness individuals suffer violence and humiliation from members of the community, for instance, living in the streets with no housing. Hence NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) should develop strategies to curb the victimization faced by mental illness individuals.

 

 

 

References

Blitz, C.L., Wolff, N., and Shi, J., 2008. Physical victimization in prison: The role of mental illness. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry31(5), pp.385-393.

Hiday, V.A., Swanson, J.W., Swartz, M.S., Borum, R., and Wagner, H.R., 2014. Victimization: a link between mental illness and violence? International journal of law and psychiatry.

Maniglio, R., 2016. Severe mental illness and criminal victimization: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica119(3), pp.180-191.

MONAHAN, J. (2012). People with mental disorders and people who offend: Collecting valid data. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 4(S1), pp.68–73.

Robertson, M.J. (2011). Mental disorder among homeless persons in the United States: An overview of the recent empirical literature. Administration in Mental Health, 14(1), pp.14–27.

SILVER, E. (2012). MENTAL DISORDER AND VIOLENT VICTIMIZATION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF INVOLVEMENT IN CONFLICTED SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS*. Criminology, 40(1), pp.191–212.

Silver, E., 2012. Mental disorder and violent victimization: the mediating role of involvement in conflicted social relationships. Criminology40(1), pp.191-212.

Silver, E., Arseneault, L., Langley, J., Caspi, A. and Moffitt, T.E., 2010. Mental disorder and violent victimization in a total birth cohort. American Journal of Public Health95(11), pp.2015-2021.

Silver, E., Piquero, A.R., Jennings, W.G., Piquero, N.L., and Leiber, M., 2011. Assessing the violent offending and violent victimization overlap among discharged psychiatric patients. Law and Human Behavior35(1), pp.49-59.

Teasdale, B. (2014). Mental Disorder and Violent Victimization. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36(5), pp.513–535.

Teplin, L.A., McClelland, G.M., Abram, K.M., and Weiner, D.A., 2013. Crime victimization in adults with severe mental illness: Comparison with the National Crime Victimization Survey. Archives of general psychiatry62(8), pp.911-921.

Turner, H.A., Finkelhor, D., and Ormrod, R., 2013. The effect of lifetime victimization on the mental health of children and adolescents. Social science & medicine62(1), pp.13-27.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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