Psychiatry of Violence: A Guide for Lawyers

There is undoubtedly a public preoccupation with violence in all its manifestations. However, there is considerable misunderstanding of the psychiatric aspects of violent and aggressive behavior. First, the perception of violence perpetrated by the mentally disordered is often a mistaken one. In fact, there are relatively few incidents of violent behavior due to those suffering from mental disorder, although much publicity attends any act of violence from these patients. Secondly, even where the mentally disordered patient is the perpetrator of violence, the mental disorder, per se, is not usually the only causative factor. Mentally disordered patients, like everyone else, are subject to the forces of society, culture, and personality. This fact must be appreciated if a clear understanding is to be achieved of the psychiatry of violence. This book sets violent behavior, not only against a background of mental disorder, but in relation to the social, cultural, and personal pressures whi