In this blog post, we’ll discuss why people with mental illness commit crimes in the face of weakening social ties and how to prevent it.
It used to be thought that South Korea was a well-policed and safe country because guns were banned, so people didn’t get shot to death like in the U.S., and there were no brutal and grotesque don’t ask, don’t tell murders like in Japan. But recently, the crimes in Korea have become increasingly vicious and brutal. Whenever you hear about these crimes, you can’t help but feel shocked, afraid, or compassionate. Crimes committed for money, pleasure, or to fulfill desires are on the rise.
Some of the crimes in South Korea are committed by mentally ill people. The problem is that two out of three of these criminals commit crimes again, especially violent crimes. Last year, there were 501 violent crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, and arson committed by mentally ill people. The percentage of mentally ill people among murderers has been increasing, reaching 4.6% last year.
“Crimes committed by the mentally ill are often categorized as unmotivated crimes because there is often no correlation between the suspect and the victim, but in reality, they are often driven by social structural causes such as weakened social ties, economic frustration, and social discontent,” said one expert. “As competition increases, those who lose out are more likely to become frustrated, reclusive, and take out their frustration and aggression on violent crime,” he said.
Our society is highly intolerant of those who are different from us. At the slightest hint of social convention or difference, we draw a line and distance ourselves from it rather than understand or accept it, especially when it comes to people with mental illness. If someone like that gets on the subway, everyone stares at them and then avoids them, and if they get close, they move away. This is simply because of the discomfort and fear that comes from being different from what they think is normal. This situation becomes even more pronounced when they go out into society, and as a result, people with mental illnesses suffer great hurt and pain in society. As researcher Kim Ji-hwan explains, on the surface, it seems like an unmotivated “don’t ask, don’t tell” crime, but in reality, it is motivated by various problems stemming from their environment.
A recent popular drama called “The Good Doctor” illustrates this problem. The main character is an autistic boy with servant syndrome. As a doctor with excellent memorization and spatial perception, he is an excellent diagnostician, but he is misunderstood and hurt by the situations that his condition makes it difficult for him to control. The protagonist says, “It’s familiar and natural for everyone to hate themselves. But I can’t lie, and no one believes me,” he says. The protagonist has a dream of becoming a doctor, but people around him reject him, thinking that he cannot take on patients because he is mentally ill. The discrimination and difficulties faced by people with mental illness are extreme.
Even normal people are afraid of interpersonal relationships in society. They are careful with their behavior and often suppress themselves in situations. Not only is it difficult for people with mental illness to do this, but they often don”t even get the chance. People don’t approach them and don’t reach out to them because of the negative connotations of the word mental illness. In these situations, mentally ill people may feel the urge to express their frustration by committing a crime.
To solve this problem, we must first prevent people with mental illness from committing crimes. They need social support and attention. Governments should support their economic activities, and social structures should provide centers or places for them to meet with people. We need to create an environment where the medical profession and volunteers can systematically take care of their minds. Social programs and events are also needed to increase their motivation. If they have weak social ties and are marginalized, and if there is at least one person who listens to them and helps them, other diseases of the mind can be prevented.
