I've enjoyed thinking about Elizabeth Smart's behavior and reading the posts about this, but I've also been concerned about the following.
I don't have empirical evidence at hand to back it up but believe that I've read that this is true - the majority of homeless and/or mentally ill are not violent (toward themselves or others). But when something like the Smart case happens (a child is kidnapped), it becomes a major news item. The general public is likely to have confirmed their false, but popular, stereotype that all homeless and/or mentally ill are potentially dangerous and thus, to be avoided at all costs (remember Son of Sam and Jeffrey Dahmer?). This belief then leads most folks to treat this population as suspect. I would bet big bucks that contributions to the homeless will drop significantly, that fewer folks will offer help of any sort (odd jobs, etc.), and so on (oops, this sounds like a prediction - wonder how it could be tested?). Having been in Salt Lake City on March 9-12 (I left the morning of the day she was found) and staying in the downtown area, I was approached by many homeless people asking for money. When in big cities, I generally keep a few dollars in my pocket for this reason. Does anyone have any data comparing rates of violent behavior and/or tendencies among the homeless and the homeful? Sherry Sherry A. Ferguson, Ph.D. Research Psychologist National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA 3900 NCTR Road Jefferson, AR 72079 --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
