CSUN On Point

Although the United States makes up less than five percent of the world’s population,  31 percent of mass shootings happen here, according to CNN.

Law enforcement experts, mental health professionals, politicians and survivors continue to ask what the driving force is behind these mass shootings, and whether there is any way to predict or prevent them.

The Parkland Florida shooter told authorities he heard voices in his head giving him instructions on what to do to conduct the attack, and Nashville’s Waffle House gunman claimed Taylor Swift was stalking him. Many experts say easier access to mental health treatment would help, but warn against suggesting that all mental illness leads to violence.

“The connection between violence and mental health often [leads to a] stigma,” Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health program manager James Coomes said. “It’s actually counterproductive [because] it prevents people from accessing mental health services if they need them.”

“Sometimes people think if someone is hearing voices that is somehow criminal, and someone should be locked up for that,” Coomes said, “[but] people live with psychosis every day.”

Many suggest that people be encouraged to speak up when they suspect a friend, classmate, or family member is contemplating violence.

“I definitely do believe there are signs,” U.S. Department of Justice investigator Sgt. Rod Clayton said. “Whether we adhere to them, or report them in a timely matter, is our biggest question.”

“The reality is one and every four people experience a major mental health issue at some point in their life,” Coomes said. “The vast majority of people who are experiencing mental health issues are not prone to violence. So, if we’re trying to predict who is going to engage in a violent act and who isn’t, there might be signs, like a collection of weapons, or aggressive behavior, [but not always].”

Others say parents should limit exposure to violent video games and movies.

“I would attribute a lot of it, in my personal opinion, to what we see or what we see our kids do on social media and video games,” Clayton said. “Anytime you can see where a person is becoming desensitized by what they see on the internet or the video games, there needs to be some intervention.”

Some say that if the mass media and social media users would stop reporting, sharing, reposting or retweeting the names, faces and detailed histories of killers, there might be a reduction in mass shootings, and some studies do suggest that ‘media contagion’ may be a factor.

“Media makes people copycat what they see,” Clayton said. “Now we see it more [and] people want to do it more. [It’s like] what we experienced in the late 90’s with vehicle pursuits. We saw it on the news so everybody wanted to do it.”

Crime statistics suggest society is not actually more violent overall, even as these mass shootings increase. But Americans don’t feel safer.

“In a public opinion poll, it was asked how much violence is out there in 2016,” CSUN Communication Studies Professor David Keating said, “and 70 percent of Americans thought 2016 was more violent than 2015. But the crime rate has been steadily declining for a couple of decades now.”

Law enforcement experts and mental health professionals said awareness can help.

“Learning to engage each other, and accepting each other a little bit more, and having more tolerance for each other [can help],” Coomes said. “Being open to a family member or friend that might be experiencing something they may not feel is normal or acceptable, and giving them an opportunity to talk about it, and then engaging support around them [can help].”

Moderator: Sammy Shaktah

Producer: Jiani Navarro

Anchor: Kaylee Kealani

Social Media Editor: Daniel Martindale

Reporters: Jade Davis, Kaylee Kealani, Daniel Martindale, Jiani Navarro, Sammy Shaktah

Depression is the number one reason students drop out of school, and it may lead to other mental illnesses or even to suicide.

“There’s so many statistics on it,” said Steven Wang, from CSUN Counseling Services and the coordinator of the campus’ Blues Project. “One of four students are more likely to have depression, and it’s not treated. Stress would be on that spectrum, as well.”

Many people still hold negative stereotypes of mental illness as dangerous or a sign of weakness, and those stereotypes may keep people from getting help.

“I think the stigma comes from people not being familiar or just not knowing what the behaviors are,” said Ebony Harper, an advisor to students in CSUN Student Housing. “So it can be seen as acting out, or you have behavior problems, so you get this thing that people don’t want to be around you.”

Organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Health have been emphasizing the importance of recognizing and treating mental illness, but mental health is often not talked about within families.

NAMI board member Michelle Thomas said there is a lack of knowledge, but that most people with mental illnesses lead normal lives if they get treatment. “Most of the time you don’t even know people have mental illness, unless their symptoms are active,” she said.

NAMI and the University Counseling Services offer support and treatment options that may help students feel free to talk about mental illness and seeking care.

“Using proper language, and being able to address it properly, as well as sharing your story, I think helps,” Wang said.

Moderator: Tephanie Martinez

Producer: Nathan Hoffman

Anchor: Max Goen

Social Media Editors: Star Harvey and Jennifer Montiel

Reporters: Breanna Burnette, Max Goen, Star Harvey, Shuandy Herrera, Nathan Hoffman, Tephanie Martinez and Jennifer Montiel