But what choices are there? You can't institutionalize them; you are forced to mainstream them into the school system. Are we over prescribing medication? sure. Not providing the proper follow-up care? sure. But it would be truly grossly irresponsible to do nothing. I don't buy that the drug and not the underlying problem is the primary problem. Further, a lot of these drugs have had about a bazillion doses taken by kids so side effects should be well known by now.
There are plenty of choices: therapy; foster parentage; special education; mentoring programs; even religious guidance. Giving medication is just a crapshoot at best, and at worst it can be the trigger that pushes the kid from disturbed to outright homicidal. And, as you noted, the lack of followup observation can be downright dangerous. Surely you don't think it's just coincidental, the high incidence of prescribed drug use in these adolescent mass murder cases?
You have you just face the unbelievable array of evidence. What are the odds that every, single incident in this country in the past 25 years of a multiple homicide against strangers is committed by a person who is being treated by a psychiatrist with anti-depressant drugs? What are the odds? If you can think of a single mass killing not caused by somebody on Prozac or another clone, I'd be willing to consider some other option.
But there are millions and millions of people who are at least as messed up as this kind or Kip Kinkle or any of the others who aren't being drugged and who just happen to not be killing their fellow classmates, post office employees or co-workesr.
Face it, there isn't a single person in America who has any idea of how these drugs really work. All they know for sure if that it changes the chemical process in the brain by disrupting its current function. That is like slapping a TV to make the picture better. It make work every now and then but is it really 'treatment?' Remember that none of these kids are ever cured by these drugs. They just change the symptoms so they now are 'bi-polar' instead of manic depressive. Their lives still suck but now in a different way.
Go back to 1989 with Joseph Wesbecker in Kentucky. He was the first guy to take Prozac and shoot 21 employees at the plant he worked at. It has only gotten worse since then and this drug has only been prescribed more and more.
The effects of the drug (in this case, alcohol) reduce judgement and emotional control and the underlying tendencies become manifest in a violent act.
Although there are numerous other complicating factors which may be involved, and the natural tendency may be present, the drug acts as either catalyst or excuse.
Imho, being in a drugged state probably increases the lack of connection with reality, and renders acts which would not have been considered by someone otherwise acceptable in their minds, at least until they see the mayhem they have committed and realize the implications. Then reality slaps them in the face, and unable to deal with that, they commit suicide.
Not a shrink, just my $0.02
Bingo
Years ago, these kids would have been separated from the other kids, special schooling.
But no, all must be mainstreamed. Can't destroy their self esteem doncha know.
My wife works in the school system and some of the 'horror' stories....