In contrast to a consensus among scholars that terrorists are relatively normal in terms of mental health, and thus, studying mental health is not a useful line of investigation, the current study found a large portion of a sample of former violent U.S. White supremacists report mental health problems before and/or during their involvement.
Individuals with mental health problems may be attracted to the White supremacist movement because of the ideological similarities to certain types of mental health symptoms such as paranoia, elevated levels of anger, and a sense of persecution. Additionally, results suggest that violent White supremacist groups do not actively filter prospective or current members for mental health problems. Findings provide evidence for the ongoing need to examine mental health factors among a variety of terrorist organizations and suggest that the emerging consensus may be an example of overgeneralization. (Publisher Abstract)
Downloads
Similar Publications
- Qualitative fieldwork within the criminal justice system: Emotions, advocacy, and the pursuit of social justice for untested sexual assault kits (SAKs)
- Does a Close Relationship With an Adult Reduce the Risk of Juvenile Offending for Youth With a History of Maltreatment?
- An Examination of Sexual Assault Kit Submission Efficiencies Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Law Enforcement Agencies