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Aurora Agee
English 4 Honors
Mrs. DeBock
April 14, 2016
Are They Mentally Ill Or Just Mean?
Think about how many times bullying is brought up in casual conversations about
controversies. Out of that number is there ever a conversation being had about the background to
these behaviors? Many times bullies or criminals act a certain way is due to a lack of mental
health care or evaluation. Many criminals who are mentally ill never receive proper care once
incarcerated. Mental Health is a very important factor in how a person acts; It can cause a person
to be impulsive, angry or even sad for no apparent reason. Most effects of mental illnesses are
bad and have no benefit to the person. This can be one of many reasons an individual will decide
to bully or commit a crime. Although bullying can cause mental illnesses as well because it is all
a continuous cycle. When a person has a mental illness he or she are negatively affected and may
not be in control of their actions towards others or what they do.
Individuals who are mentally ill have problems with their social skills and attitudes
towards others. There are many studies that show those who have a mental illness are prone to
either being a bully or being a victim to bullying. Because of growing statistics in bullying cases
the same can be assumed for mental health issues. In the article Mental Illness is Prevalent in
America it states that one in five people will be diagnosed with a mental disorder in their
lifetime. This increases the possibility of many more crimes as well as bullying cases. However,
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it is not to pit the mentally ill to all be criminals or bad people there are those who are upstanding
citizens. The article "Preface to 'How Should Society Address Mental Illness?'." discusses the
case of a college student with a mental illness. He would often scream or disrupt class but he had
no criminal tendencies. Many do not know this but the mentally ill have many good sides.
However those who have criminal tendencies are usually mentally ill.
Those who are mentally ill and also criminals often are mistreated once incarcerated. The
mentally ill that are in jail often get persecuted for having a visible illness or they worsen in their
illness without medication or care. There is a way for the mentally ill to avoid being tried and
placed into jail. The plea of mentally insane is often overused and never proven to be true but it
can help the truly mentally ill criminals get the proper care while still being punished for the
crime. This plea has been in effect for over one hundred years now. In the beginning many
criminals would make things up to get out of being charged for a crime due to supposed inanity.
Even the man who tried to assassinate president reagan plead non guilty due to insanity. After
this case the rules have been made stricter including actual mental health exams. ("Introduction
to Mental Illness and Criminal Behavior: At Issue.") The issue with mentally ill criminals who
have been incarcerated is a highly debated topic; some believe that they should be in jail no
matter their mental illness and others believe that it is wrong to incarcerate a mentally ill
individual. This is because the mentally ill in jails are often times not provided with the correct
mental heath care or medication. Those who side with the belief that mentally ill criminals need
to be treated as criminals also often have negative views on medication for the mentally ill. They
think that it is the fault of the drug that the person committed the crime. Peter Breggin says In
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early 2005 the FDA finally issued a warning that antidepressants cause both suicidality and
violence. also throughout his article are reference to the opinion that mentally ill criminals
should be incarcerated.
When a person has a mental illness he or she are negatively affected and may not be in
control of their actions towards others or what they do. Whether or not an individual believes
that a mentally ill patient should be in jail or not. The fact is that mentally ill individuals are
prone to commit crimes. However small the crime may be it is still crime. There are many sides
to this story and many ways to take the case. There are many opinions and many lies that people
to be true. The mentally ill are in fact humans and do make mistakes but that is no excuse for
someone to be mistreated.

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Works Cited

Breggin, Peter. "Violent People Should Be Treated as Criminals Rather Than as Patients."
Mental

Illness and Criminal Behavior. Ed. Shannon Fiack. Detroit: Greenhaven Press,

2009. At

Issue. Rpt. from "The Real 'Mental Health Lesson' from Virginia Tech."

The Huffington

Post. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

Davoli, Joanmarie Ilaria. "Psychiatric Hospitals Are Not Equivalent to Prisons." Mental Illness
and Criminal Behavior. Ed. Shannon Fiack. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At
Issue.
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Rpt. from "Reconsidering the Consequences of an Insanity Acquittal." New

Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement 31.1 (Winter 2005): 3-14.

Opposing

Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

"Introduction to Mental Illness and Criminal Behavior: At Issue." Mental Illness and Criminal
Behavior. Ed. Shannon Fiack. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue.
Opposing

Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

Mental Health America. "The Plea of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Should Remain Valid."
Mental Illness and Criminal Behavior. Ed. Shannon Fiack. Detroit: Greenhaven
Press,
Defense."

2009. At Issue. Rpt. from "Position Statement 57: In Support of the Insanity
2004. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

"Mental Illness Is Prevalent in America." Mental Illness. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web.

17 Mar. 2016.

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"Preface to 'How Should Society Address Mental Illness?'." Mental Illness. Ed. Mary E.
Williams. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing
Viewpoints

in Context. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.