High Functioning autism and mass shootings correlation?

[Östsvensk]

But researchers stressed that having ASD or a head injury alone were not linked to psychopathic tendencies

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...dy-claims.html

What is so controversial about it? Every time there is a mass shooting, among the first things I see is people screaming the shooter was autistic.

There is a correlation between autism and mass shootings, and even more so autistic psychopathy (a term originally used by Hans Asperger) and mass shootings, but it's not so simple as that it works in the way that every autistic is a potential ticking bomb. Mass shootings are rarely, if ever, committed on impulse but are planned long in advance. The shooters typically have warning signs and red flags all over them. In some reported cases, they (like Adam Lanza) were already in childhood obsessed with murder.

The vast majority of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders are highly moral but can show aggression of a non-lethal severity. Nevertheless there are a small number of persons with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome who do show lethal violence. I have described these as Criminal Autistic Psychopathy [11]. The rate of these problems in special hospitals and prisons is almost twice the general population prevalence of Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Originally, these conditions were called Autistic Psychopathy by Hans Asperger 1938 and 1944. [9] I am suggesting that we bring back the diagnosis of Autistic Psychopathy for those persons with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome who engage in criminal activities with the new diagnosis Criminal Autistic Psychopathy. These persons have the dual features of Autism and Psychopathy. The seriousness of this condition is often missed with the sole diagnosis of Autism or Asperger's Syndrome. There are overlapping features but also differences from General Psychopathy as described in these examples of school killers in the literature.

Autism and School Shootings — Overlap of Autism (Asperger's Syndrome) and General Psychopathy
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/47518
https://www.theneurotypical.com/auti...shootings.html

Violence is Rare in Autism: When It Does Occur, Is It Sometimes Extreme?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full...=true&role=tab

Exploring the presence of ASD in the 75 mass shooters identified by Mother Jones revealed evidence of likely ASD in six cases (8%) which is about eight times higher when compared to the prevalence (of under 1%) found in the general population worldwide.

Crucially, the findings of this review are not advancing the notion that individuals with ASD are more likely to be mass shooters or commit serious crime. There may, however, be a small subgroup of individuals with ASD who are more likely to become serious offenders, a claim supported by Fitzgerald (2010). Fitzgerald suggested that Autistic Psychopathy (Hans Asperger's own term for the syndrome that he described in 1944) may underlie the motivation of some serial killers (Fitzgerald, 2010). He posited a new diagnosis “Criminal Autistic Psychopathy,” a subcategory of Asperger's syndrome. This diagnosis would help clearly differentiate this subgroup from the general population of individuals with ASDs, whom are almost certainly less likely to become involved in violent or criminal behaviors. We suggest that appropriate and timely interventions should be developed and implemented specifically tailored for individuals with ASD who may be at increased risk. In order to identify which individuals may be at increased risk research is urgently required to investigate which clusters of risk factors are more predictive of a mass shooting episode. Some researchers suggest that one of the possible warning signs or red flags is an increase in the intensity of preoccupations in an individual with ASD, particularly if those preoccupations have a sinister (disturbing or violent) content. In the case of Adam Lanza, forensic records show that he did develop an increased preoccupation with mass murders which was intense (Solomon, 2014).

[Todesritter]

Today's overcrowded, overly-socialised world dependent on peer acceptance and interaction in every sphere without community building in the traditional sense (everything is dependent on popularity, social media, presentation - you can't just be a weird guy in your village while still easily retaining your manual job nowadays, or at least it's become much harder) with too much social interaction and overpopulation is hard enough for normal people, for autists who aren't geared towards this kind of living it's outright infuriating. Combine that with the pharmacological epidemic of today and a lack of real outlets for frustration and violence and you get this.

[Anglo-Celtic]

the pharmacological epidemic of today

This likely is the main cause since said epidemic increased as school shootings increased. It's the third rail because many politicians work for drug pushers, so it's "muh assault weapons" (D) or "muh violent entertainment" (R).

[dviz]

Can we at least agree that nutters should not have access to guns?

Meaning, anyone under treatment in the past 5 years. All those who try to kill as many strangers, preferably children, are completely deranged. They were all diagnosed and yet they legally purchased guns.

[Incal]

lol at controversial. So should those diagnosed as mentally ill/autistic be allowed access to guns or not?

Obviously not.

[dviz]

Obviously not.

You say that, but in reality only those who were committed involuntarily to a mental hospital are not allowed to buy guns in the US. Only a handful of states have a broader legislation restricting gun ownership of those who have been diagnosed with mental illness in the past. Unfortunately conservatives opposed any such legislation, and dragging this situation is really on them now. Guns and nutters don't mix.

[Colonel Frank Grimes]

It's not only that. Psychopharmacology is the dinosaur in the room, but the gun-grabbers try to sweep that Tyrannosaurus Rex under the rug. The experts on arms, like "AR-16" Joe Biden, want to take guns from the good and normal people who wouldn't even dream about mass murder. It's the government way: hassle the 98% for the crimes of the 2%.

I suspect SSRI are also an issue. Anyone here on SSRIs? Does it make you emotionally numb?

Based on these findings I think there is definitely a propensity for it but what ultimately leads them to do it is a mix of factors, could be related to their personality or even certain triggers in their life. In many of these cases, it seems mistreatment of some sort that they may feel is undeserved and the social difficulties they were experiencing. (probably due to their condition).

We should also take into account personal bias on my part. There isn't much out there on high functioning autism and mass shootings. It's more of a meme on the internet.

As we all know, I detest high-functioning autists, and so it's quite possible the mass shootings I remember best are those where I had learned when they happened that the shooter was autistic or could be reasonably believed to be a high functioning autist and so those are the mass shootings that come to mind. We would have to look at more mass shootings of a similar type (not gang related, guy murdering his family, etc.) to see if maybe mentally ill high functioning autists are just a minority (taking into account proportion of the population). I suspect they aren't but I need to keep my bias in mind. I suspect they're way out of proportion to their numbers in the population.

I'm just putting my thoughts out there.

lol at controversial. So should those diagnosed as mentally ill/autistic be allowed access to guns or not?

Yes, it's controversial. As I wrote, there isn't much talk about high-functioning autists and mass shootings outside of 4chan internet memes. There is the tentative study I posted and another study about Columbine shooters that I shouldn't have posted because it's just one assumption after another. There is very little out there.

Your question is simple, and so I'll answer as if I had asked myself a better, more detailed question that deserves a detailed answer:

To be a high-functioning autist isn't enough to be a mass shooter. It's not a mental illness. I do suspect high-functioning autists are more susceptible to mental illness, but we don't take away someone's rights because they're more susceptible to mental illness. We need a reason (history of violence, violent threats made, self-harm, etc.) to restrict someone's gun rights. Obviously, people will slip through the cracks. Many mass shooters, such as this woman and Ramos, bought their guns legally. They slipped through the cracks.

The debate really isn't whether we keep mentally ill people from having access to guns because no one disagrees with keeping a lethal weapon out of the hands of the mentally ill. The issue is mentally ill people slip through the cracks and get access to guns, and how do we deal with that?

We live in an imperfect world where the concept of 'trade offs' needs to be understood. Does the alternative - severe gun restrictions that includes law-abiding citizens - have a more positive outcome than the current gun laws that now exist? We're currently making a trade off - the occasional mass shooting by people who were able to legally acquire guns - for the right of an American citizen to arm himself for his protection. Is that the better choice? Yes. In the US, more lives are saved than lost when law abiding citizens are armed (obviously the criminal's life doesn't count. Fuck that guy).

Life is about trade-offs. Sometimes we make the wrong choice (choosing to eat an unhealthy meal because it's more tasty than a healthy meal). Sometimes we make the more rational choice. On the gun issue, I choose the side that leads to less innocent people being murdered.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...dy-claims.html

What is so controversial about it? Every time there is a mass shooting, among the first things I see is people screaming the shooter was autistic.

There is a correlation between autism and mass shootings, and even more so autistic psychopathy (a term originally used by Hans Asperger) and mass shootings, but it's not so simple as that it works in the way that every autistic is a potential ticking bomb. Mass shootings are rarely, if ever, committed on impulse but are planned long in advance. The shooters typically have warning signs and red flags all over them. In some reported cases, they (like Adam Lanza) were already in childhood obsessed with murder.

Yeah, that's what the public seems to believe (or I should say, people on the internet). There aren't many real studies out there. I've seen the studies you posted. I referenced two of them. One I wish I hadn't because it's just full of assumptions about Harris and Klebold.

[Todesritter]

This likely is the main cause since said epidemic increased as school shootings increased. It's the third rail because many politicians work for drug pushers, so it's "muh assault weapons" (D) or "muh violent entertainment" (R).

SSRIs are a fucking scourge and should be forbidden except for fringe cases; all psych meds should be relegated to fringe cases that aren't helpful and people who are on antidepressants and mood stabilisers shouldn't get easy access to weapons, neurological disorders themselves aren't necessarily a precedent for violence except for certain specific types.

I would also add the changing of social and especially familial dynamics, lack of support etc to the list of things contributing to exacerbated violence among youth today that sees no other outlets of life, and general lack of faith, nihilistic postmodern outlooks. All things that might drive someone to a suicidal mass shooting. I suspect a lot of these are suicide-by-proxy or outright suicidal, no one reasonably expects to live a normal life after committing a mass shooting.

[lei.talk]

Originally Posted by Audrey Hale I’m planning to die today. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!
You’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die. This is my last goodbye. I love you. See you again in another life.

Averianna Patterson Audrey! You have so much more life to live. I pray God keeps and covers you.

Audrey Hale I know, but I don’t want to live.
I’m so sorry. I’m not trying to upset you or get attention. I just need to die.
I wanted to tell you first because you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and known all my life.
My family doesn’t know what I’m about to do. One day this will make more sense.
I’ve left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen.

[Richmondbread]

Well, since autistic people often feel misunderstood, have problems making friends and fitting in, I would assume more of them would be isolated and frustrated with life. That tends to be a common thread with mass shooters….they feel separated and alone, and are lashing out at the people who they feel are rejecting them.

Since this shooter went to that school, she may have held a grudge if she was bullied.

Most people don't know this, but I am HFA. I never once thought about shooting up a school. There was a time in the 3rd grade when I wanted to set the Principal on fire. Mainly because I thought she was a witch.