In an effort not to stigmatize the mentally ill, a local mental health expert is urging people to reserve judgment about the 20-year-old who shot and killed 26 people - 20 of them children - at a Newtown, Conn. school last Friday.
Dr. Gerry Costa, director of Montclair State University'sCenter for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health, wants to dispel the myth that that the shooter Adam Lanza's presumed diagnosis of Asperger syndrome , which is a type of autism, had anything to do with his actions.
"There is no evidence whatsoever that there is a connection between Asperger's and violence," Costa said. "Often times in the face of such an unbearable tragedy I think sometimes people will seek meaning," he said adding that in doing so they will associate the violence with the diagnosis of mental illness, something that leads to "unfortunate stereotypes."
"Acts like the shooter committed - that are so unbearable - are a reflection of complex human problems, and until we know more, we need to reserve judgment," Costa said.
Those with Asperger syndrome, he said, typically may have sensitivities to certain levels of lighting, certain levels of noises, and crowds, he said. They may also have difficulty reading social cues, the psychologist said.
"The fact that they have social difficulties is part of their profile, but that is in no way an indication that they will be prone to violence," he said.
The Autism Self Advocacy Network, in a statement in response to the attack, noted that in fact those with autism and other psychiatric issues are more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to be its perpetrators.
"We urge media, government and community leaders to speak out against any effort to spuriously link the autistic or broader disability community with violent crime," the statement says. "Autistic Americans and other groups of people with disabilities persist in facing discrimination and segregation in school, the workplace and the general community. In this terrible time, our society should not further stigmatize our community."
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From what Costa has read of Lanza, he was likely to have been part of a small subgroup of children that have a biologically based set of vulnerabilities, he said.
"When children with social vulnerabilities move away from the protective cocoon of their families, who often bridge them to society and help them manage in social situations, they are often more likely to become isolated and may seek out groups that give them some sense of belongingness," Costa stated. "This does not mean that they are more likely to associate with violence."
Dr. Gerry Costa, director of Montclair State University's
"There is no evidence whatsoever that there is a connection between Asperger's and violence," Costa said. "Often times in the face of such an unbearable tragedy I think sometimes people will seek meaning," he said adding that in doing so they will associate the violence with the diagnosis of mental illness, something that leads to "unfortunate stereotypes."
"Acts like the shooter committed - that are so unbearable - are a reflection of complex human problems, and until we know more, we need to reserve judgment," Costa said.
Those with Asperger syndrome, he said, typically may have sensitivities to certain levels of lighting, certain levels of noises, and crowds, he said. They may also have difficulty reading social cues, the psychologist said.
"The fact that they have social difficulties is part of their profile, but that is in no way an indication that they will be prone to violence," he said.
The Autism Self Advocacy Network, in a statement in response to the attack, noted that in fact those with autism and other psychiatric issues are more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to be its perpetrators.
"We urge media, government and community leaders to speak out against any effort to spuriously link the autistic or broader disability community with violent crime," the statement says. "Autistic Americans and other groups of people with disabilities persist in facing discrimination and segregation in school, the workplace and the general community. In this terrible time, our society should not further stigmatize our community."
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From what Costa has read of Lanza, he was likely to have been part of a small subgroup of children that have a biologically based set of vulnerabilities, he said.
"When children with social vulnerabilities move away from the protective cocoon of their families, who often bridge them to society and help them manage in social situations, they are often more likely to become isolated and may seek out groups that give them some sense of belongingness," Costa stated. "This does not mean that they are more likely to associate with violence."
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