Blaming public ignorance for making campuses scapegoats, however, doesn’t address the core problem, which is our nation’s unwillingness and inability to deal with behavioral health issues. Both Loughner and Holmes were struggling with mental illness.
No one should be locked up just because they are mentally ill, and predicting who will actually harm himself or others is extremely difficult. Additionally, half of all lifetime cases of mental health illness begin by age 14, according to the National Institute of Health. Combined with the fact that mental health treatment budgets are being slashed, it should be no surprise that on occasion, a person with severe behavioral health issues who is enrolled (or recently enrolled) in a school or college will fall through the cracks and do something terrible.
Blaming universities or schools for failing to properly read the tea leaves indicating that someone will do something bad is not the answer. The solution is having an effective national, state and local strategy that addresses mental health.
The general public, legal community and media must stop pointing fingers at schools and universities (and let’s not forget hospitals) for the problems caused by society neglecting its responsibilities. The blame game might give the public an outlet to vent their fear and sadness, or provide attorneys the opportunity to file a lawsuit. It certainly helps with TV ratings for the media, but their short-term gain is our long-term loss. Unfair blaming of campuses only diverts our attention from the real problem.
Related Articles:
- The Challenges of Tracking Potentially Dangerous People
- Mass Casualty Shootings Can Happen Anywhere
- Podcast: How to Respond to Active Shooters
- What Your Campus Can Learn From the Murdock Media Debacle
