t family environments in which alcohol or substance abuse is common, ongoing conflicts among family members and a controlling atmosphere are associated with violence by persons with mental illness. Also, people with mental illness that live in an unpredictable, stressful environment with little family, community support and little personal understanding of his or her illness, may be at increased risk for violence.Such conditions are all too common in our society, especially in our communities with large populations, where sometimes family and social violence are common, as in substance abuse. Stress can aggravate the symptoms of most mental illness, and unfortunately, stress is often an unavoidable part of a mentally ill persons life. Very often, people with severe mental illness end up living in reduced circumstances, forced to do low paying work when they can work at all, living in dangerous neighborhoods, or much too often, homeless. Such an environment aggravates the symptoms of a person struggling with his illness, living in this threatening environment which is worsening his fears. The combination of his deteriorating environment leaves him withdrawn and needing a way to vent all of this pent-up rage locked away deep in his mind. This rage when released usually is overwhelming upon release which usually becomes a violent outburst resulting in some form of criminal act or behavior.According to a government study, (1983), "a survey of people with mental illness reported that people with mental illness (schizophrenia: which affects perhaps one in every 100 people) were nearly nine times more likely than those among the general population to have fought with others or committed a crime involving a weapon. (p.41) Still, there has not been any solid data linking mental illness to criminal behavior, only very violent behavior. But, does violent behavior lead to criminal behavior? Research has shown no clear cut relationship bet...
