There continues to be an alarming number of mass shootings in America. According to Gun
Violence Archive, there have been 1,560 additional mass shootings (defined as four or more
victims injured or killed), since the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, in
which 20 children and six educators died.
Too often, through the media, these horrendous acts of violence are blamed on mental illness.
For example, in this recent article found on the intern listing the 10 deadliest mass shootings in
modern US history, “mental health issues” was named as the motive behind the shootings 50%
of the time ( www.marketwatch.com/story/these-are-the-10-deadliest-mass-shootings-in-ushistory-2017-10-02). What constitutes mental illness being the motive or the contributing factor
to such violent acts? That will be the assignment.
Assignment
Identify two different mass shooting cases in which the perpetrator’s mental illness, or mental
health problems, were alleged to have contributed to the violent act. You will find evidence to
either debunk that misbelieve or find evidence to support that belief of mental illness. Using
your textbook Psychology in Everyday Life (4
th ed) as a reference, allow these sections to guide
the development of your term paper:
Chapter 13, Psychological Disorders
Learning Objectives 13 & 13-1
• How should we define psychological disorders?
• How should we classify psychological disorders?
• How can we use labels to guide treatment without stigmatizing people or excusing their
behavior?
Sample Solution
