With the Oregon school shooting still fresh in people’s minds, many are looking for a reason as to why Chris Harper-Mercer committed such a horrendous act. A popular conclusion is mental illness.

“People with serious mental illness are three to four times more likely to be violent than those who aren’t. But the vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent and never will be” Dr. Jeffery Swanson said in an interview with the Pacific Standard.

Claudia Hammond of BBC Future published her own article about Germanwings Flight 9525 and reached the same conclusion-mental illness is not a significant factor in violent crimes. Another article released on April 21, 2014 by the American Psychology Association contained data that supported the argument. Yet despite the ample evidence, the stigma around mental illness continues.

“The National Rifle Association (NRA) proposed that a national registry of people with mental illness be created to limit their ability to purchase guns, yet the NRA is not interested in reasonable gun safety laws and restrictions on certain kinds of firearms with high-capacity magazines. So what would be next? …The bottom line is we don’t know who is going to kill, but those with a mental health diagnosis are not likely to commit crimes of violence based on that diagnosis,” said Mary Jackson in an article for “Mad in America”.

Attitudes like the NRA’s are dangerous to the safety and wellbeing of mentally ill people. The stigma surrounding them people can prevent them from getting jobs and quality housing. The stereotypes can even be internalized by mentally ill people, causing them to hold negative self-images and possibly prevent seeking treatment.

“What mentally ill people need is understanding and help, not demonization,” an anonymous Neshaminy student said. “It’s flat out wrong to blame an entire demographic.”