Mental Health Not Primary Cause of Gun-Related Violence

AS IT IS 2016-06-14 Mental Health Not Primary Cause of Gun-Related Violence

The order of events is almost always the same after a mass shooting in the United States.

People go to the place where the shooting happened. The mourners cry or stand silently. They leave flowers, balloons or messages. Many Americans watch television reports about the shooting. Later, politicians call for strong laws to prevent individuals with mental problems from using guns.

Earlier this year, CNN invited President Barack Obama to appear on a special television program on gun violence. During the program, a law enforcement¹ official told the president that gun violence would not end until criminals and “those with mental illness” obey gun ownership² laws.

Many political leaders link shooting deaths to mental illness. The president proposed³ a $500 million plan to expand mental health treatment programs in an effort to limit mass shootings and gun violence.

Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, said “we have seen consistently⁴ that an underlying⁵ cause of these attacks has been mental illness, and we should look at ways to address this problem.”

But researchers say people with mental problems -- including schizophrenia and severe depression -- are no more likely to use a gun to kill others than anyone else.

Small percentage of gun violence

Beth McGinty is an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Maryland. She recently completed a study that found most people with mental illness in the U.S. are not violent toward⁶ others. Her study also found that mental illness is not a cause of most gun violence in the U.S.

McGinty told VOA that “even if we had a perfect mental health system that treated everyone when they needed it, and gave them effective treatment, we would probably only prevent between three to five percent of gun violence and 95 to 97 percent of gun violence would remain untouched.”

She added that “we have good studies showing that news media [reports about] mental illness really focus on rare acts of violence -- often very high-profile acts of violence like mass shootings committed by people with serious mental illness.”

McGinty says whenever there is a mass shooting, officials and reporters look for evidence that the shooter had a mental problem. She notes “violence helps sell newspapers and so that’s often what gets focused on.”

Failure to seek other causes

Experts say when shootings are blamed on mental illness, people do not think about other possible causes for the attack.

Paul Gionfriddo is president of Mental Health America, a group that helps people with mental problems. He says if we don’t “automatically⁷ think ‘mental illness,’ it would give us the opportunity to think about some other things” as the cause of mass shootings.

Gionfriddo and McGinty say the belief that mental illness is linked to gun violence hurts the image of those who suffer from these disorders⁸. And they say it makes it more difficult for people with such illnesses to be treated.

Experts believe there has not been enough research on the causes of gun violence. They believe it should be studied as a public health threat so gun deaths can be prevented -- or at least reduced.

Words in This Story

mental illness – n. a specific condition that prevents your mind from working normally⁹; a sickness or disease¹⁰

consistently – adv. continuing to happen or develop in the same way

underlying – adj. used to identify the idea, cause, problem, etc., that forms the basis of something

address – v. to give attention to (something); to deal with (a matter, issue, problem, etc.)

schizophrenia – n. a very serious mental illness in which someone cannot think or behave normally and often experiences delusions¹¹

focus – v. to cause (something, such as attention) to be directed at something specific (usually + on)

high-profile – adj. attracting a lot of attention in newspapers, on television, etc.

commit – v. to do (something that is illegal or harmful)

automatically – adj. happening or done without deliberate¹² thought or effort

image – n. the idea that people have about someone or something

1 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

2 ownership   

n.所有(权)，所有制

参考例句：

• The house is under new ownership.那栋房子已易新主。
• He claimed ownership of the house.他声称那幢房子归他所有。

3 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议

4 consistently   

ad.一贯地，一直

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。
• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law. 部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。

5 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

6 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

7 automatically   

adv.不加思索地，无意识地，自动地

参考例句：

• The machine cycles automatically.这台机器自动循环运转。
• She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers.她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。

8 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

10 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

11 delusions   

n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想

参考例句：

• the delusions of the mentally ill 精神病患者的妄想
• She wants to travel first-class: she must have delusions of grandeur. 她想坐头等舱旅行，她一定自以为很了不起。 来自辞典例句

12 deliberate   

adj.故意的，深思熟虑的；v.仔细考虑

参考例句：

• You should deliberate over the question before you respond to it.回答问题之前你应该慎重考虑。
• His actions were clearly the result of deliberate calculation.他的行动显然是精心策划过的。