{"id":86195,"date":"2022-12-06T15:27:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T19:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=86195"},"modified":"2022-12-16T16:07:28","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T20:07:28","slug":"why-do-mass-shootings-happen-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/why-do-mass-shootings-happen-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Mass Shootings Happen in America? It’s Debatable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why do mass shootings happen in America so frequently? What are the best measures to prevent mass shootings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to reports, there have already been 600 mass shootings in the United States in 2022. To understand why mass shootings happen in America, researchers seek to learn what motivates mass shooters, whether it be mental illness, easy access to guns, or something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn both sides of the debate seeking to answer why mass shootings happen in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Mass Shootings in America<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As of mid-November, there had been 600 mass shootings<\/a> in the United States in 2022, meaning an average of more than two per day. According to data reported by The Washington Post<\/a>, not a single week has passed this year without at least four mass shootings.<\/strong> This data is based on The Gun Violence Archive\u2019s definition of a \u201cmass shooting\u201d as an event in which at least four victims are shot, not including the perpetrator. So, why do mass shootings happen in America so much more frequently than the rest of the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon, as the U.S. has the most mass shootings by far of any developed country in the world.<\/strong> William Paterson University\u2019s Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice found that between 1998-2019, the U.S. accounted for 73% of the mass shooting incidents in the developed world<\/a>. There are two major sides of the debate concerning why these tragedies happen so frequently in America: One side places the blame on mental illness, and the other on the availability of guns. Are both sides a bit disingenuous in their finger-pointing? As with most dichotomies, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, and in this case some other factors may also be at play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental Illness as a Contributor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On November 9, Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 people at Parkland High School was spared the death penalty<\/a> and given life in prison. His defense attorney described him as a \u201cbrain damaged, broken, mentally ill person, through no fault of his own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public discourse<\/a> around the issue of mass shootings happening in America is heavily focused on mental health. Arguments pointing squarely to mental illness, however, are often meant to point the finger away<\/em> from the issue of gun access. But mental health advocates say focusing solely on mental illness stigmatizes the mentally ill and oversimplifies the issue of why mass shootings are happening in America.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The link between mass shootings and mental health has been examined in numerous research studies, with mixed conclusions. Studies have estimated the rate of mental illness among mass murderers to be anywhere from 5% to more than 70%. This vast discrepancy is caused by two factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The definition of \u201cmental illness\u201d: <\/strong>Most studies only looked for links between severe<\/em> mental illness, such as psychosis, a form of mental illness that causes detachment from reality. A study conducted by the Violence Project<\/a> found that psychosis played no role in about 70% of mass shootings. Other studies have shown even lower rates<\/a> of psychosis among mass shooters. These studies don\u2019t account for other types of mental illness that might be contributing factors. <\/li>
  2. The difference between a diagnosis<\/em> and exhibited behavior<\/em>: <\/strong>Many people with mental health problems never get diagnosed. Men, who commit the vast majority of mass shootings , are less likely than women to seek mental health treatment and receive diagnosis. A 2020 study found that two-thirds of all mass shooters exhibited signs<\/em> of mental illness<\/a>, whether they were diagnosed or not. So diagnosed<\/em> conditions may not be a reliable indicator of mental illness. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Regardless of percentage discrepancies, researchers tend to agree on one thing: mental illness alone<\/em> is not a sufficient explanation for mass shootings<\/strong><\/a>. The vast majority of people with mental illnesses, even serious ones, do not commit violent acts. The Pew Research Center says that more than half of all Americans will be diagnosed<\/a> with a mental illness or disorder at some time in their life. Since this implies that a higher proportion will exhibit symptoms but go undiagnosed, that means mass shooters are not necessarily statistically worse off than the general population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another factor that comes into play here is that if mental illness alone could explain mass shootings, we would see them happening at similar rates in other countries\u2014America is not the most mentally healthy country in the world, but neither is it the most mentally unhealthy<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where the U.S. does stand out globally, however, is in the rate of gun ownership<\/a>. This leads many to point the finger at easy access to firearms as a major contributor to why mass shootings happen more frequently in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gun Access as a Contributor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The U.S. has by far the highest number of firearms per resident of any country in the world<\/a>, having more than double <\/em>the per capita firearm count of the second country on the list (Yemen). It\u2019s the only country in the world that has more citizen-owned firearms than it has citizens. Gun control advocates point out that it\u2019s no coincidence that America far outpaces the rest of the developed world in both<\/em> rates of mass shootings and the number of guns<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Statistics also do show that decreased access to guns and tighter gun control regulations <\/strong>make a difference<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Australia had four mass shootings between 1987 and 1996. The perpetrator in the 1996 shooting killed 35 people in a popular tourist area. As a response, there was a public outcry for tighter gun control, and the Prime Minister banned rapid-fire rifles and shotguns and imposed stricter controls on gun licensing. In the 26 years since, Australia has not had a single mass shooting event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Despite this example, many Americans tend to have a more<\/em> favorable view of gun ownership after a mass shooting event<\/a>, and many will point out that just as most mentally ill people will never commit a mass shooting, neither will most gun owners.<\/strong> So, the U.S. is unlikely to follow Australia’s lead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other Contributing Factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If neither mental illness nor gun access is sufficient in itself to explain mass shootings, what other factors might come into play? Some experts say we should think more in terms of \u201ccrisis\u201d than mental illness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First, let\u2019s take a look at what we know statistically about people who commit mass shootings in America: <\/p>\n\n\n\n