Citation

Hempel AG, Levine RE, Meloy JR, Westermeyer J. J. Forensic Sci. 2000; 45(3): 582-588.

Affiliation

Extended Treatment Program, North Texas State Hospital, Vernon 76384, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10855962

Abstract

A nonrandom sample of North American cases of sudden mass assault by a single individual (SMASI, n = 30) is compared with a nonrandom sample of Laotian amok cases (n = 18) and other amok studies. Perpetrators in both studies show evidence of social isolation, loss, depression, anger, pathological narcissism, and paranoia, often to a psychotic degree. The term "innovative perpetrator" is reintroduced and expanded upon. Similarities among samples far outweigh differences, leading the authors to conclude that SMASI and its appearance in different cultures is not a culture-bound syndrome.

Language: en