In the United States, tackling crime is one of the objectives that have brought different parties together. The government collaborates with law enforcement agencies and communities to create safer neighborhoods. This partnership is bearing some fruit as the US has witnessed a significant decline in crime. However, crime remains one of the greatest challenges that the country faces. The failure of the US to fully tackle crime can be blamed on a number of issues. Mental health is one of these issues. Various scholars have carried out studies to investigate the link between mental health and criminal behavior. These studies have revealed that poor mental health increases the risk of involvement in criminal activities. In the following discussion, some of these studies are examined in detail.
Jillian Peterson, Jennifer Skeem, Eliza Hart and two other scholars are among the members of the academic and scientific communities who have probed the link between mental health and criminal behavior. They penned an article in which they detail the procedure and results of a study that they carried out. They conducted the study in the larger Los Angeles district (Peterson et al., 2010). They recruited parolees from this era. While some of the parolees had a history of mental health problems, others had not such records. In carrying out the study, Peterson and her colleagues sought to achieve a number of objectives. However, the primary objective of the study was to test the criminalization hypothesis (Peterson et al., 2010). Essentially, the researchers set out to determine if there are any differences in the offending patterns of individuals with mental illnesses and those who are free of these illnesses.
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As part of their research method, Peterson and her team recruited parolees who were then interviewed (Peterson et al., 2010). The interview focused on the criminal histories of the parolees. The researchers particularly sought to establish the types and motivations for the criminal activities in which the parolees were engaged. They also analyzed the distribution of the different criminal behaviors among the parolees with mental health issues and those without these issues (Peterson et al., 2010). As expected, the findings of the study reveal that there is an association between poor mental health and criminal behavior. Peterson and her fellow scholars report that the criminal behavior of some of the parolees with mental illnesses is the “direct result of psychosis” (Peterson et al., 2010, p. 1217). Another finding that the researchers made concerns the importance of psychiatric services. They observed that when they are provided with psychiatric services, parolees with mental health issues face a lower risk of recidivism. Overall, Peterson and her team established that mental health conditions are among the drivers of criminal behavior. Their findings underscore the need for all concerned stakeholders to join forces and develop infrastructure for psychiatric treatment.
Jennifer and her team are not isolated in their investigation of the relationship between mental health and crime. Fred E. Markowitz (2011) is yet another scholar who set out to establish this relationship. The research that he carried out was of the literature review type. He shared the objective that Jennifer and her colleagues pursued when they carried out their research. He also set out to determine if poor mental is to blame for criminal behavior. Another goal that drove his literature review was the violent tendencies that criminals with mental illnesses tend to exhibit (Markowitz, 2011). Markowitz also aimed to determine how the public views violent criminals who grapple with mental health challenges.
As already stated, the research that Markowitz conducted assumed the literature review format. This means that he extensively scrutinized publications that address criminal behavior and its association with mental health. He states that “I review research on the relationship between mental illness, criminal behavior, and violence, focusing on individual, macro and situational processes” (Markowitz, 2011, p. 37). The findings that Markowitz arrived at are both enlightening and worrying. They are enlightening because they identify poor mental health as among the causes of criminal behavior. What makes these findings worrying is that they recognize institutional and societal failures which have accelerated crime. After examining dozens of publications, Markowitz determined that society perceives those with mental illnesses as extremely dangerous (Markowitz, 2011). He also noted that the lack of support structures in communities fuels violent behavior among the mentally ill. Markowitz presents some encouraging observation: police officers are working tirelessly to attend to the needs of offenders with mental illnesses. They refer these offenders to providers of mental health services (Markowitz, 2011). The literature review also allowed Markowitz to acknowledge the impact of social relationships on criminal behavior. He concludes that conflicted relationships and stress drive mentally ill offenders into violence. Markowitz’s article is indeed insightful as it sheds light on the experiences of the mentally ill. This article should challenge policy makers to take action and respond to the plight of these individuals so as to shield them from the life of crime.
Violent crime poses a serious challenge to law enforcement agencies in the US. Every year, the country witnesses hundreds of violent crimes that result in injury and even death. Given the threat that violent crime poses, it is necessary to examine how this issue is linked to mental illness. Jeffrey Swanson, Elizabeth McGinty, Seena Fazel and Vickie Mays (2015) carried out this examination. When they came together, the primary goal that drove them was the need to establish the link between suicide and violent crime, and psychiatric disorders. They also wished to determine if there is any truth in the reports that media outlets feed the public concerning the danger that the mentally-ill pose. These researchers also sought to identify the approaches that are effective in tackling suicide and violent crime among those with mental illnesses (Swanson et al., 2015).
Literature review is the primary method that Swanson and his colleagues employed. They reviewed publications on a wide range of issues that concern public perceptions regarding the mentally ill. They also examined epidemiological evidence that sheds light on violent tendencies among those with mental illnesses (Swanson et al., 2015). The findings of the literature review are as insightful as they startling. The researchers observed that media portrayals and public perceptions are inaccurate and unfair. They noted that the public views the mentally ill as extremely dangerous. The media helps to reinforce this false belief (Swanson et al., 2015). Swanson and his colleagues also noted that a vast majority of individuals with mental illnesses are not violent. However, they observed that within the mentally-ill population, the rates of suicide are worryingly high. This observation suggests that mental illness is a risk factor for suicide and other destructive behaviors. The researchers also identify the ease with which individuals are able to access firearms as another risk factor for suicide. Overall, the research that Swanson and his colleagues conducted echo the findings that other scholars have made. There is some association between mental illness and criminal behavior.
In conclusion, the discussion above has revealed that the scholarly and scientific communities are dedicated to tackling crime. The members of these communities have carried out studies with the aim of establishing how mental illness exposes individuals to the risk of committing crime. These studies have confirmed that mentally ill individuals are more likely to commit crimes. Another key finding that has been made is that the public holds baseless and unhelpful perceptions. Instead of regarding the mentally ill as victims of psychiatric conditions, the public considers them to be dangerous. If societies are to make any progress in the effort against crime, a change in public perceptions must occur.
References
Markowitz, F. E. (2011). Mental Illness, Crime, and Violence: Risk, Context and Social
Control. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16, 36-44.
Peterson, J., Skeem, J. L., Hart, E., Vidal, S., & Keith, F. (2010). Analyzing Offense Patterns as
A Function of Mental Illness to Test the Criminalization Hypothesis. Psychiatric
Services, 61 (12), 1217-1222.
Swanson, J. W., McGinty, E. E., Fazel, S., & Mays, V. M. (2015). Mental Illness and Reduction
Of Gun Violence and Suicide: Bringing Epidemiologic Evidence to Policy. Annals of
Epidemiology, 25, 366-376.
