Mental Disorder and Homicide in Australia

• NCJ Number: 179441
• Author(s): Jenny Mouzos
• Date Published: November 1999
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice No. 133

Annotation

This paper examines the link between mental disorder and violent criminal behavior.

Abstract

A review of international literature examining the link between mental disorder and violent criminal behavior suggests that, although a small number of mentally disordered individuals engage in violent criminal behavior, the vast majority is unlikely to commit homicide. A study of police reports found that only 4.4 percent of Australian homicide offenders were recorded as suffering from a mental disorder. This suggests that the prevalence of mental disorder among homicide offenders is significantly less than among the general population. There was no evidence to support the notion that mentally disordered offenders are more likely to kill strangers in public places for no apparent reason. In reality, mentally disordered offenders who commit homicide are more likely to victimize a family member at some private residence. Tables, references