Chapter 1
INTRODUCTIONA. Background People with Intermittent Explosive
Disorder have episodes where they act on aggressive impulses hat
result in serious assaults or destruction of property (American
Psychiatric Association, 2000). Although it is unfortunately common
among general population to observe aggressive outbursts, when you
rule out the influence of other disorders (e.g., anti-social
personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, a psychotic
disorder, Alzheimers disease) or substance use, this disorder is
only rarely diagnosed. Research is at the begging stages for this
disorder and focuses on the influence of neurotransmitters such as
serotonin and norepinephrine as well as testosterone levels, along
with their interaction with psychosocial influences (stress,
disrupted family life, parenting styles). These and other
influences are being examined to explain the orgins of this
disorder (Scott, Hilty, & Brook, 2003). Cognitive-behavioral
interventions (e.g., helping the person identify and avoid triggers
for aggressive outbursts) and approaches modeled after drug
treatments appear the most effective for these individuals,
although few controlled studies yet exist (McElroy & Arnold,
2001) B. Research Aims This paper aims to: 1. understand what is
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (or IED). 2. discover the causes of
IED 3. distinguish the symptoms of IED 4. acknowledge the different
kinds of treatments for IED
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C. Research Questions The proponent seeks to answer the
following: 1. What is Intermittent Explosive Disorder? 2. What are
the causes of Intermittent Explosive Disorder? 3. Why do people
experience Intermittent Explosive Disorder? 4. What are the
symptoms of Intermittent Explosive Disorder? 5. What are the
different kinds of treatments for Intermittent Explosive
Disorder?
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Chapter 2 METHOD
A. Principles of Organization Analysis Analysis is the
examination and evaluation of the relevant information to select
the best course of action from among various alternatives. The
field of intelligence employs analysts to break down and understand
a wide array of questions. Intelligence agencies may use
heuristics, inductive and deductive reasoning, social network
analysis, dynamic network analysis, link analysis, and
brainstorming to sort through problems they face. Military
intelligence may explore issues through the use of game theory, Red
Teaming, and war gaming. Signals intelligence applies cryptanalysis
and frequency analysis to break codes and ciphers. Business
intelligence applies theories of competitive intelligence analysis
and competitor analysis to resolve questions in the marketplace.
Law enforcement intelligence applies a number of theories in crime
analysis. Analysis also has a 'divide and conquer' approach applied
to systematic examination and evaluation of data, by breaking it
into its component parts to uncover their interrelationships.
Opposite of synthesis. Examination of data and facts to uncover and
understand cause-effect relationships, thus providing basis for
problem solving and decision making.
In this paper, the most relevant principle of organization to be
used is analysis. With this, the readers could understand more of
the topics or a discussion to be analyzed as time goes by.
3|P a ge
B. Theoretical Framework
4|P a ge
With this chart, the readers could get a gist of the flow of the
whole concept of this research. With further discussion and
analysis, the reader would know more than this flowchart. First, it
indicates the few causes of Intermittent Explosive disorder.
Second, the several symptoms of IED are stated. Third, there are
possible treatments for the patients with IED. With these
information, and further discussion, the readers could understand
fully why Intermittent Explosive Disorder happens to some people.
The readers could also find out the symptoms and possible
treatments for the patients.
5|P a ge
Chapter 3
RELATED READINGSIntermittent Explosive Disorder defined
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a disorder
characterized by impulsive acts of aggression, as contrasted with
planned violent or aggressive acts. The aggressive episodes may
take the form of "spells" or "attacks," with symptoms beginning
minutes to hours before the actual acting-out. The Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth edition, text
revision (also known as DSM-IV-TR ) is the basic reference work
consulted by mental health professionals in determining the
diagnosis of a mental disorder. DSM-IV-TR classifies IED under the
general heading of "Impulse-Control Disorders Not Elsewhere
Classified." Other names for IED include rage attacks, anger
attacks, and episodic dyscontrol (Durand & Barlow, 2005).
Intermittent explosive disorder was originally described by the
eminent French psychiatrist Esquirol as a "partial insanity"
related to senseless impulsive acts. Esquirol termed this disorder
monomanies instinctives, or instinctual monomanias . These
apparently unmotivated acts were thought to result from instinctual
or involuntary impulses, or from impulses related to ideological
obsessions (Schmidt, 2009). People with intermittent explosive
disorder have a problem with controlling their temper. In addition,
their violent behavior is out of proportion to the incident or
event that triggered the outburst. Impulsive acts of aggression,
however, are not unique to intermittent explosive disorder.
Impulsive aggression can be present in many psychological and
nonpsychological disorders. The diagnosis of intermittent explosive
disorder (IED) is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion, which means
that it
6|P a ge
is given only after other disorders have been ruled out as
causes of impulsive aggression (Surace, 2010). Patients diagnosed
with IED usually feel a sense of arousal or tension before an
outburst and relief of tension after the aggressive act. Patients
with IED believe that their aggressive behaviors are justified;
however, they feel genuinely upset, regretful, remorseful,
bewildered or embarrassed by their impulsive and aggressive
behavior (First & Tasman, 2009).
Causes of Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Recent findings suggest that IED may result from abnormalities
in the areas of the brain that regulate behavioral arousal and
inhibition. Research indicates that impulsive aggression is related
to abnormal brain mechanisms in a system that inhibits motor
(muscular movement) activity, called the serotoninergic system.
This system is directed by a neurotransmitter called serotonin,
which regulates behavioral inhibition (control of behavior). Some
studies have correlated IED with abnormalities on both sides of the
front portion of the brain. These localized areas in the front of
the brain appear to be involved in information processing and
controlling movement, both of which are unbalanced in persons
diagnosed with IED. Studies using positron emission tomography
(PET) scanning have found lower levels of brain glucose (sugar)
metabolism in patients who act in impulsively aggressive ways.
Another study based on data from electroencephalograms (EEGs) of
326 children and adolescents treated in a psychiatric clinic found
that 46% of the youths who manifested explosive behavior had
unusual highamplitude brain wave forms. The researchers concluded
that a significant subgroup of people with IED may be predisposed
to explosive behavior by7|P a ge
an inborn characteristic of their central nervous system. In
sum, there is a substantial amount of convincing evidence that IED
has biological causes, at least in some people diagnosed with the
disorder.
Other clinicians attribute IED to cognitive distortions.
According to cognitive therapists, persons with IED have a set of
strongly negative beliefs about other people, often resulting from
harsh punishments inflicted by the parents. The child grows up
believing that others "have it in for him" and that violence is the
best way to restore damaged self-esteem. He or she may also have
observed one or both parents, older siblings, or other relatives
acting out in explosively violent ways. In short, people who
develop IED have learned, usually in their family of origin, to
believe that certain acts or attitudes on the part of other people
"justify" aggressive attacks on them.
Although gender roles are not a "cause" of IED to the same
extent as biological and familial factors, they are regarded by
some researchers as helping to explain why most people diagnosed
with IED are males. According to this theory, men have greater
permission from society to act violently and impulsively than women
do. They therefore have less reason to control their aggressive
impulses. Women who act explosively, on the other hand, would be
considered unfeminine as well as unfriendly or dangerous (Beck,
1999).
Symptoms of Intermittent Explosive Disorder
IED is characterized by violent behaviors that are impulsive as
well as assaultive. One example involved a man who felt insulted by
another customer in a neighborhood bar during a conversation that
had lasted for several minutes. Instead of finding out whether the
other customer intended his remark to be insulting, or answering
the "insult" verbally, the8|P a ge
man impulsively punched the other customer in the mouth. Within
a few minutes, however, he felt ashamed of his violent act. As this
example indicates, the urge to commit the impulsive aggressive act
may occur from minutes to hours before the "acting out" and is
characterized by the buildup of tension. After the outburst, the
IED patient experiences a sense of relief from the tension. While
many patients with IED blame someone else for causing their violent
outbursts, they also express remorse and guilt for their
actions.
IED is apparently a rare disorder. Most studies, however,
indicate that it occurs more frequently in males. The most common
age of onset is the period from late childhood through the early
20s. The onset of the disorder is frequently abrupt, with no
warning period. Patients with IED are often diagnosed with at least
one other disorderparticularly personality disorders , substance
abuse (especially alcohol abuse) disorders, and neurological
disorders (Baumeister, 1999). Diagnosis for Intermittent Explosive
Disorder As mentioned, IED is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion.
Patients who are eventually diagnosed with IED may come to the
attention of a psychiatrist or other mental health professional by
several different routes. Some patients with IED, often adult males
who have assaulted their wives and are trying to save their
marriages, are aware that their outbursts are not normal and seek
treatment to control them. Younger males with IED are more likely
to be referred for diagnosis and treatment by school authorities or
the juvenile justice system, or brought to the doctor by concerned
parents. A psychiatrist who is evaluating a patient for IED would
first take a complete medical and psychiatric history. Depending on
the contents of the patient's history, the doctor would give the
patient a physical9|P a ge
examination to rule out head trauma, epilepsy, and other general
medical conditions that may cause violent behavior. If the patient
appears to be intoxicated by a drug of abuse or suffering symptoms
of withdrawal, the doctor may order a toxicology screen of the
patient's blood or urine. Specific substances that are known to be
associated with violent outbursts include phencyclidine (PCP or
"angel dust"), alcohol, and cocaine. The doctor will also give the
patient a mental status examination and a test to screen for
neurological damage. If necessary, a neurologist may be consulted
and imaging studies performed of the patient's brain. If the
physical findings and laboratory test results are normal, the
doctor may evaluate the patient for personality disorders, usually
by administering diagnostic questionnaires. The patient may be
given a diagnosis of antisocial or borderline personality disorder
in addition to a diagnosis of IED. In some cases the doctor may
need to rule out malingering , particularly if the patient has been
referred for evaluation by a court order and is trying to evade
legal responsibility for his behavior (Tasman, Allan et. al.,
1997).
Treatments for Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Little research has been done on patients who meet DSM-IV-TR
criteria for IED, although one study did find that such patients
have a high lifetime rate of comorbid (co-occurring) bipolar
disorder. In some people, IED decreases in severity or resolves
completely as the person grows older. In others, the disorder
appears to be chronic.
Some adult patients with IED appear to benefit from
cognitive
10 | P a g e
therapy. A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania
found that cognitive approaches that challenged the patients'
negative views of the world and of other people was effective in
reducing the intensity as well as the frequency of violent
episodes. With regard to gender roles, many of the men reported
that they were helped by rethinking "manliness" in terms of
self-control rather than as something to be "proved" by hitting
someone else or damaging property. Several medications have been
used for treating IED. These include carbamazepine (Tegretol), an
antiseizure medication; propranolol (Inderal), a heart medication
that controls blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms; and
lithium, a drug used to treat bipolar type II manicdepression
disorder. The success of treatment with lithium and other
mood-stabilizing medications is consistent with findings that
patients with IED have a high lifetime rate of bipolar disorder
(Tasman, Allan et. al., 1997). Possible Preventions for
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
As of 2002, preventive strategies include educating young people
in parenting skills, and teaching children skills related to
self-control. Recent studies summarized by an article in a
professional journal of psychiatry indicate that self-control can
be practiced like many other skills, and that people can improve
their present level of self-control with appropriate coaching and
practice (Schmidt, 2009).
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Chapter 4
PROPOSITIONSProposition 1: Intermittent Explosive Disorder is a
mental illness where the patient experiences uncontrollable
behavior . Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a mental
disturbance that is characterized by specific episodes of violent
and aggressive behavior that may involve harm to others or
destruction of property. There are some symptoms of IED that are
just ordinary to people. And there are symptoms where you could
definitely figure out if the person has IED. People diagnosed with
IED could do so much chaotic actions. Indeed, many researchers and
clinicians are reluctant to accept this disorder as a separate
entity, given that anger and aggression are extremely common in a
wide range of psychiatric conditions. It is included in the
impulse-control disorders. Proposition 2: Intermittent Explosive
Disorder is a condition where the patient unknowingly or
unintentionally cause destruction to other people. People with IED
have this outbreak. And once they experience such outbreak, they
could cause massive destruction to people, things and also
themselves. These scenarios cannot be prevented. Apparently, people
with IED could do harm to anyone once they became angry. Their
anger could transform to something called mind frenzy, where they
feel adrenaline and just does everything to get their anger out of
the way. Yet after this, they feel guilt. And to some point, they
have no idea what they just did. Proposition 3: Intermittent
Explosive Disorder has many causes. People with IED may attack
others and their possessions, causing bodily injury and property
damage. Typically beginning in the early teens, the disorder often
proceeds and may predispose for later depression, anxiety and
substance abuse disorders. Nearly 82 percent of those with IED also
had one of these other disorders, yet only 28.8 percent ever
received treatment for their12 | P a g e
anger, report Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, and
colleagues. In the June, 2006 Archives of General Psychiatry, they
suggest that treating anger early might prevent some of these
co-occurring disorders from developing. Proposition 4: Intermittent
Explosive Disorder has peculiar symptoms. The symptoms of IED can
appear at any time from late childhood through the early 20s,
although the disorder is not usually diagnosed in children. The
onset may be abrupt, without any warning in the form of a period of
gradual change in the child or adolescent's behavior. IED appears
to be more common in people from families with a history of mood
disorders or substance abuse. The severity of the disorder appears
to peak in people in their thirties and to decline rapidly in
people over 50. Proposition 5: Intermittent Explosive Disorder is
misunderstood by some people. There are some people who think that
people with IED are entirely dangerous. Yes, they may be
aggressive, but they are also humans. These patients never wanted
their conditions. They just had this so-called illness because of
their unhealthy environment. They go to such treatments to be
cured. People shouldnt be so judge mental when it comes to people
who are impaired. Although, people could also take precautions when
it comes to such patients. Proposition 6: Intermittent Explosive
Disorder patients experience guilt after their aggressive
breakdown. People diagnosed with IED sometimes describe strong
impulses to act aggressively prior to the specific incidents
reported to the doctor and/or the police. They may experience
racing thoughts or a heightened energy level during the aggressive
episode, with fatigue and depression developing shortly afterward.
Some report various physical sensations, including tightness in the
chest, tingling sensations, tremor, hearing echoes, or a feeling of
pressure inside the head.13 | P a g e
Proposition 7: Intermittent Explosive Disorder includes risk
factors. In this research, there are some risk factors about IED:
People with other mental health problems - such as mood disorders,
anxiety disorders and eating disorders - may be more likely to also
have intermittent explosive disorder. Substance abuse is another
risk factor. This disorder may result in job loss, school
suspension, divorce, auto accidents or incarceration. IED, an
imbalance in brain chemicals, affects up to one in 20 people --
more men than women. IEDrelated injuries occur 180 times per 100
lifetime cases and is significantly comorbid with most DSM-IV mood,
anxiety, and substance disorders. Individuals with narcissistic,
obsessive, paranoid or schizoid traits may be especially prone to
intermittent explosive disorder. As children, they may have
exhibited severe temper tantrums and other behavioral problems,
such as stealing and fire setting. IED can fuel road rage, spousal
abuse, etc., and may also predispose people to other mental
illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, and substance abuse
problems. IED could very well be an overlooked explanation for the
frequency of violent crimes committed by violent offenders.
Individuals with intermittent explosive disorder may attack others
and their possessions, causing bodily injury and property damage.
Later, they may feel remorse, regret or embarrassment about the
aggression. Proposition 8: Intermittent Explosive Disorder shows
violence to a whole new level. Since these patients can be
aggressive, they do unimaginable actions. There was a show where
this kid brought guns in his school in America. He killed some of
his schoolmates and some other staffs. The story was, the kid was
so sick and tired of being treated wrong by some people in their
school. His plan was to show his friends that something big was
about to happen. The next day, he brought the guns and shot some
students during their prayer circle one morning. This goes to show
that one patient with IED could do anything.
14 | P a g e
Proposition 9: Intermittent Explosive Disorder can cause suicide
to some patients. During this research, there are some reports
about people with IED in America. Another case is when two friends
did a shootout in their school. Unfortunately, more than 10 died.
Including the two suspects. With a patients uncontrollable anger,
he or she could hurt people or kill and even hurt himself or
herself. This could probably be one of the most tragic cases that
can happen to someone with this kind of disorder. Proposition 10:
Intermittent Explosive Disorder can cause trauma to those who
witness the violent activities of the patient. Its not just the
patients who get so terrified with their actions. There are also
those who saw it, or the victims of such crimes. Of course, when
someone is in an emotional outrage, people tend to freak out.
People who witness these things could have intense trauma after
each event. On my former propositions, I told a story about murders
and suicides. On these cases, those witnesses still think or feel
scared about what happened during those times. These scenarios can
be plastered to every witness memory. Unfortunately for some, they
live with it forever. Some of them also go to therapies just to get
rid of those memories. Proposition 11: Intermittent Explosive
Disorder rarely happens to anyone. Although the editors of DSM-IV
stated in 2000 that IED "is apparently rare," a group of
researchers in Chicago reported in 2004 that it is more common than
previously thought. They estimate that 1.4 million persons in the
United States meet the criteria for IED, with a total of 10 million
meeting the lifetime criteria for the disorder. Most patients are
young men and history will often involve frequent traffic
accidents, moving violations and possibly sexual impulsivity. These
patients may exhibit extreme sensitivity to alcohol. This disorder
is a controversial category because some clinicians believe that it
is only a symptom of other diagnoses rather than a disorder on its
own.
15 | P a g e
Proposition 12: Intermittent Explosive Disorder can be cured by
Cognitive Behavioral interventions. If the patient appears to be a
danger to self or others, he or she may be committed for further
treatment. In terms of legal issues, a physician is required by law
to notify the specific individuals as well as the police if the
patient threatens to harm particular persons. In most states, the
doctor is also required by law to report suspected abuse of
children, the elderly, or other vulnerable family members. Some
persons with IED benefit from cognitive therapy in addition to
medications, particularly if they are concerned about the impact of
their disorder on their education, employment, or interpersonal
relationships. Psychoanalytic approaches are not useful in treating
IED.
Proposition 13: Intermittent Explosive Disorder can be cured
thru medications. Many different types of drugs are used to help
control intermittent explosive disorder, including: Anti-anxiety
agents in the benzodiazepine family, such as diazepam (Valium),
lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax). Anticonvulsants, such as
carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), gabapentin
(Neurontin) and lamotrigine (Lamictal). Antidepressants, such as
fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil). Mood regulators like
lithium and propranolol (Inderal). These medications could help at
least to calm the patient treat the patient. Proposition 14:
Intermittent Explosive Disorder can be treated. Group counseling
sessions, focused on rage management, also have proved helpful.
Some people have found relaxation techniques useful in neutralizing
anger. Treatment could involve medication or therapy including
behavioral modification, with the best prognosis utilizing a
combination of the two. Treatment with antidepressants, including
those that target serotonin16 | P a g e
receptors in the brain, is often helpful, along with behavior
therapy akin to anger management. If the patient appears to be a
danger to him or others, he may be committed against his will for
further treatment. Researchers found that although 88% of
individuals with IED studied were upset by the results of their
explosive outbursts, but only 13% had ever asked for treatment in
dealing with it. Proposition 15: Intermittent Explosive Disorder
has some complications. The violent behavior that's part of
intermittent explosive disorder is not always directed at others.
People with this condition are also at significantly increased risk
of harming themselves, either with intentional injuries or suicide
attempts. Those who are also addicted to drugs or had another
serious mental disorder, such as depression, are at the greatest
risk of harming themselves. People with intermittent explosive
disorder are often perceived by others as always being angry. Other
complications of intermittent explosive disorder may include job
loss, school suspension, divorce, auto accidents or
incarceration.
17 | P a g e
Chapter 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Summary As we all know Intermittent Explosive Disorder is the
inability to control violent impulses but it is critical to
distinguish this from bouts of bad temper and/or bad behavior by
excluding innumerable other possible causes. Indeed, many
researchers and clinicians are reluctant to accept this disorder as
a separate entity, given that anger and aggression are extremely
common in a wide range of psychiatric conditions. Loose application
of the term suggests that the disorder is more prevalent than it
may be. In the majority of cases where impulsive outbursts of
aggression take place, there is also another diagnosis under the
DSM-IVTR to which it may be attributed. In fact, under the official
criteria, the episode of aggression must be attributed to the other
disorder present in the first instance. Strictly defined,
Intermittent Explosive Disorder is quite rare. In fact, in
reviewing over 800 possible cases in the preparation of DSM IV,
only 17 likely cases were identified (Bradford, et al. 1994). As
you know, Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is now classified
in DSM-IV among the "Impulse Control Disorders Not Elsewhere
Classified". This has remained essentially unchanged since DSM-III,
which was published in 1980. Prior to that--in DSM-II--the nearest
thing to IED was so-called Explosive Personality, which was
regarded as a personality disorder. In DSM-III, and ever since, it
was recognized that some individuals have bouts of explosive
behavior that are NOT part of their underlying character structure,
and, indeed, are experienced as ego-alien or ego-dystonic. But,
when you describe it as a bonafide mental illness, you may be going
a bit further than our understanding permits.18 | P a g e
In all likelihood, IED is a heterogeneous collection of
pathophysiological and psychological conditions, rather than a
single illness--that is, IED may really be a syndrome that
represents the final common pathway for several etiologies. A good
historical review from the 1980s is provided by Monopolis et al (Am
J Psychiatry 1983;140:1200-1202). A more recent review is provided
by McElroy et al in the March 1992 American Journal of Psychiatry,
and in the April 1998 Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (also McElroy
et al). In the latter article, the authors found evidence that IED
may be part of the affective spectrum of disorders, and might even
reflect an atypical form of bipolar disorder. But, there are most
likely patients who have been given the diagnosis of IED whose
condition actually reflects a sub-ictal epileptiform disorder,
impulse-ridden character disorders, etc. At the very least, these
should be in the differential diagnosis of IED. B. Recommendations
After a careful study on Intermittent Explosive Disorder, the
proponent recommends the following: 1. Doctors should focus on the
patients with Impulse Disorders for they may hurt other people once
they go to an outrage. 2. Researchers should discover more
treatments for Intermittent Explosive Disorder. 3. Researchers
should hold more studies about Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
19 | P a g e
BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: Aboujaoude, Elias and Lorrin Koran (2010)
.Impulse Control Disorders. New York: Cambridge University Press
Baumeister, Roy F., PhD. (1999) .Evil: Inside Human Violence and
Cruelty. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. Beck, Aaron T., M.D.
(1999) .Prisoners of Hate: The Cognitive Basis of Anger, Hostility,
and Violence. New York: HarperCollins. Durand, Vincent and David
Barlow (2005) .Essentials of Abnormal Psychology. Belmont: Thomson
Learning Inc. First, Michael et. al. (2004) .DSM-TV-TR Guidebook.
Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing. First, Michael and
Allan Tasman (2007) .Clinical Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment
of Mental Disorders. UK: John Wiley & Sons. Tasman, Allan,
et.al. (1997) .Psychiatry 1st edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders
Company. Websites: For Appendix:
http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/intermittent.html
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APPENDIX List of some crimes on people with Intermittent
Explosive Disorder November 8, 2005 - A 15-year-old boy went to his
school in Jacksboro, Tennessee, carrying a .22-caliber handgun and
fired at three adults, killing an assistant principal and wounding
two other school officials. District Attorney Paul Phillips asked a
juvenile court judge from outside Campbell County, where the
shooting occurred, to rule on whether the case should be
transferred to circuit court and the juvenile be tried as an adult.
Principal Gary Seale was shot in the abdomen while trying to
wrestle the gun from the student and Assistant Principal Jim Pierce
was hit in the chest, authorities said. Both were in serious
condition in intensive care at University of Tennessee Medical
Center in Knoxville, spokeswoman Lisa McNeal said. No students were
hurt in the shooting at Campbell County Comprehensive High School.
The administrators and a teacher helped disarm the student,
deputies said. Assistant Principal Ken Bruce was shot in the chest
and died at a LaFollette hospital, authorities said. Despite his
injury, Seale managed to get to the intercom and order a lockdown,
helping to end the rampage, authorities said. The suspect was taken
to a juvenile detention facility, Sheriff Ron McClellan said.
Authorities said he was grazed on the hand by a bullet from his
handgun while he was being subdued. The boy's family declined to
comment. "He has been in trouble before, but I just wouldn't expect
something like this out of him," said classmate Courtney Ward, 17.
"He is a big jokester. He is rowdy. But I just couldn't see him
doing this." The shooting marked the second time this year that a
school employee was fatally shot. Stewart County school bus driver
Joyce Gregory, 47, was killed as21 | P a g e
she stopped to pick up a student on her route on March 1. Jason
Clinard, 15, is charged with her slaying and will be tried as an
adult. In August, a boy was accidentally shot in the leg in a
middle school restroom in Jefferson County. The investigation led
to charges against two students accused in a plot to kill a teacher
at Maury Middle School. On January 29, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda
Spencer killed two people and wounded nine when she fired from her
house across the street onto the entrance of San Diego's Grover
Cleveland Elementary School with a .22-caliber rifle her father
gave her for Christmas. The two victims were Principal Burton Wragg
and custodian Mike Suchar were killed. Eight students and a police
officer were wounded. Spencer, the original school rampager,
pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and assault with a deadly
weapon and was sentenced to two 25 years to life in prison. When
asked why she did it, she said the often quoted: "I just don't like
Mondays." At the time she also told negotiators, "It was a lot of
fun seeing children shot." Brenda -- who suffers from epilepsy and
depression -- said at a parole hearing in April 2001 that she felt
responsible for the many school shootings that have followed her
1979 sniper attack. "I know saying I'm sorry doesn't make it all
right," she said, adding that she wished it had never happened. But
she added, "With every school shooting, I feel I'm partially
responsible. What if they got their idea from what I did?" Spencer
claimed her violence grew out of an abusive home life in which her
father beat and sexually abused her for years. "I've never talked
about it before," she said. "I had to share my dad's bed 'til I was
14 years old." Her father, Wallace Spencer, has never spoken
publicly about the case. Brenda, now 36, told the parole board the
rifle was a Christmas present from her father. "I had asked for a
radio and he bought me a gun," she said. Asked if she knew why he
did that, she said, "I felt like he wanted me to kill myself." She
also said she thought she had
22 | P a g e
shot at the school in the hope that police would kill her at the
end of the siege. "I had failed in every other suicide attempt. I
thought if I shot at the cops they would shoot me," she said. San
Diego County Deputy District Attorney Richard Sachs, who prosecuted
Spencer, said her crime remains "unthinkable" and he posed his own
theory of why she did it. "She probably was and still is a
miserable person through and through," Sachs said. "But her way of
dealing with the misery was to spread it around." Sachs noted that
after the recent breakup of a relationship between Spencer and
another woman in prison, she heated a paper clip and used it to
carve onto her chest the words "courage" and "pride." Spencer said
it was just a tattoo, but Sachs said it showed an inability to deal
with stress and an inclination to act out anger. On September 2,
1996, Barry Loukaitis, a 14-year-old honor student in Moses Lake,
Washington, broke into algebra class wearing a long duster
concealing two pistols, seventy-eight rounds of ammunition and
high-powered rifle under it. His first shot 14-year-old Manuel
Vela. Another classmate to a bullet to his chest, and then
Loukaitis shot his teacher in the back as she was writing a problem
on the blackboard. A 13-year-old girl took the fourth bullet in her
arm. Two of the students and the teacher died. The third student
was left hospitalized in serious condition shot in the abdomen and
right arm. Then Loukaitis took hostages, allowing the wounded to be
removed, but was stymied by Jon Lane, a physical education teacher
and champion wrestler, who burst into the classroom, disarmed the
boy and held him until police arrived. It seems that Barry and
Manuel Vela, were always exchanging words. "I guess he finally got
sick of it," said fellow-student Walter Darden. Loukaitis blamed
his act on "mood swings." A classmate claimed that Loukaitis had
thought it would be "fun" to go on a killing spree. During his
trial JoAnn Phillips, Barry's mother, told the jury her son was
driven to massacre his classmates by the Pearl Jam song, "Jeremy."
The song portrays a23 | P a g e
maligned teenager who takes out his angst on his classmates by
shooting them. The video shows the boy massacring his classmates
while Eddie Vedder sings "Jeremy spoke in class today." Not laying
the blame squarely on Eddie and the band, Phillips also conceded
that her family had a history of depressive illness, which
stretched back for four generations. Terry Loukaitis, the Barry's
father, said he was burdened with three generations' worth of
depressive illnesses in his family. JoAnn also told the jury that
she treated her son as a confidant and told him everything,
including plans to kill herself in front of her ex-husband and his
new girlfriend on Valentine's Day, 1996. She said her son tried to
encourage her not to do it and to channel her energies into writing
about it. In court, John Petrich, a psychiatrist for the defense,
testified that Barry experienced delusional, godlike feelings
before his deadly rampage. "He felt like God and would laugh to
himself... He felt he was superior to other kids . . . and then
(his feelings of superiority) were replaced" by hate, disdain and a
sense of not measuring up...He was under the influence of his
psychosis and it was distorting his thinking, twisting his
thinking," and was unable to determine right from wrong at the time
of the killings. Petrich attributed Loukaitis' feeling of not
belonging to his relationship with his parents, specifically, his
mother's influence. "He was deprived of the opportunity to identify
with his father... His mother dominated him . . . His identity was
so much linked to his mother's (identity which) was on the ragged
edge" and filled with suicidal thoughts. Prosecutors said Loukaitis
planned the shootings carefully, getting ideas from the book
"Rage," written by King under a pseudonym, and the movie "Natural
Born Killers." In the book, a high school student takes a gun to
school and fatally shoots two teachers. In a tape-recorded
confession to police the day of the attack, the boy said that after
he shot Vela, the "reflex took over."
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On September 24, 1997, Barry -- now 16 -- was convicted on all
charges. Some victims' relatives wept. Others hugged. "Either
verdict would have been a tragedy," said Alice Fritz, mother of
victim Arnold Fritz. "There's no happy ending here."
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