I want to treat this subject matter as sensitively as I can and I certainly do not want to disrespect or offend anyone; especially anyone who has ever been affected by or who has been a victim of any sort of violence. I was reading an article just a little while ago and I was thinking very seriously about this subject. Do you think that mass shooting events have anything to do with gender or mental health?
The reason I ask is the article I was reading talked specifically of males and men in regards to mass shooting events. I do not know enough about this subject to determine if there ever has been a female or woman involved in a mass shooting event and I was just wondering about it.
I do not want to compare mass shooting events and violence to mental health but I wonder does mental health play any role in it at all? Or is it simply a misguided extremist issue with someone who is unstable but not suffering a diagnosable mental illness?
Is it a situation where sterotypically men are more prone to violence? Is that even a valid argument to consider ? I do not know if statistically men are more prone to violence. I would think that it’s a plausible possibility but I do not know for sure if any of that would provable. If you do you believe that men are more prone to violence and extremism why do you suppose that women are not? What kind of innate differences exist between the genders when it comes to violence and extremism?
One can even take into account bullying. All bullies are not extremists and there are female bullies as well, not just male bullies. I realize that this subject cannot be purely broken down into a male/female issue but it is something that I'm interested in exploring.
In regards to mental health: is it fair to assume somebody prone to violence is mentally ill?
On one hand someone could say that only a mentally ill person would commit acts of violence like this. But that is a stigma that we with mental illness suffer every day. People thinking that we are irrational and crazy and who don't understand what it is like to have a mental illness and live with a mental illnes. They might assume that mental illness by default means insane; and that you would need to be insane to commit mass shooting events or violence. Of course I know that is an unfair representation and I do not agree with it one bit. But the world at large think can this way so how do we differentiate between “our” type mental illness, mental illness as it relates to violence and if mental illness has anything to do with it at all?
I suppose the gender issue is less important in the long run but it was something that made me think. I don't recall ever hearing about a female mass killer or a female killing large amounts of people for an extremist reason or for any reason for that matter. I wonder if indeed it is something that is solely done by men or more likely in men; as in scientifically sound genetic or heritability. I think it's unfair to chalk anything up to gender but I was just curious as to why it seems like more men do this sort of thing unless of course I am missing a story or fact or situation where a woman committed a mass killing event.Of course there is a plethora of reasons some of which I will never understand behind why these events take place. Maybe it's a product of society or some other effects that haven’t been determined yet.
I would like to have an open dialogue about this without anyone being mean or derogatory. I would like us all to consider each other’s feelings about this subject. Please, if you feel that this will retraumatize you or trigger you, do not feel pressured to participate. I do not want to do that to anyone. I’m not trying to exclude anyone, I’m just trying to be as forthright and upfront about this uncomfortable subject as I can.