not sure I really want to know this...

[heasandford]

Has anyone else seen the news concerning the Leeds schoolboy murderer, Will Cornick? Someone pointed the following article out to me (I only chose the relevant bit) I do feel very uncomfortable about it (sorry if this upsets people, I just want some perspective on this, and whether it is being reported correctly) -

"But Will Cornick’s case is a reminder that some people defy checklists. He had been conscientious at school, not “prone to boredom” (an item on the checklist). If he’d tortured animals at 10, nobody has come forward to say so. In fact, his behaviour seemed to change radically after he was diagnosed with diabetes at 12. It dramatically altered his personality and made him depressed that he couldn’t join the army. There’s nothing in the checklist about diabetes. (There are, however, prison studies that claim that “younger diabetics” are “significantly more likely to use force in their offences when compared to non-diabetic offenders”). Cornick may have psychopathic tendencies, but he’s also a human, and humans are forever surprising."

 

[Northerner]

I think, personally, that whilst diabetes may be a small factor in his case it's of little relevance. You could pick one of a thousand reasons why someone might do such a thing, but they wouldn't be an explanation - if he wasn't diabetic there would have been some other pressure you might point to.

 

[KookyCat]

From what I've read about him it sounds to me that he had some sort of psychotic episode, those are most common in young men and usually have a precipitating event, but that could be any sort of trauma. It's unlikely he's a psychopath from what I've read, because generally that is present from a very early age, and contrary to public belief most psychopaths aren't dangerous.

I have read before about research suggesting that diabetics in prison tend toward more violent behaviour but I did a bit of digging and that's mostly American, where MDI and pumps aren't permitted and prisoners are given mixed insulin and no dietary adaptation, so it's much more likely to be the impact of unstable control, combined with an existing and unrelated tendency towards violence.

 

[heasandford]

In fairness this is the first I'd known that he had diabetes so no-one has been concentrating on reporting it, I just thought it was very disturbing

 

[ypauly]

My anger when high was and still is to a point irrational, it's only better now because I have control and understanding.

 

[KookyCat]

It's been mentioned a fair few times on our local news which is why I read up on it a bit more. It appeared he was isolated and very focused on joining the army, so the diabetes diagnosis had more impact. I think it's very sad and wonder how it got to that horrible conclusion without anyone noticing.

 

[heasandford]

thanks for your input, I am not going to get worked up about it

 

[trophywench]

Well - that's no doubt one of the reasons why (and they did this long before this event - so it didn't precipitate the change) they added psych help as a matter of 'normal service - ie he or she sits with the DSN from an early point and they both interact with the child - to pediatric diabetes clinics.

Or if a specific problem arises like suddenly kid doesn't want to go to school or whatever - parents can get a specific apt, or the kids themselves when they get old enough to understand they are only there to help.

It was much like the conclusion of that B-awful research that concluded something that wasn't demonstrated in the findings at all - ie that testing your BG on a meter, causes T2s to be anxious and depressed.

No it didn't - what caused depression was that they were banned from doing anything off their own bat to correct highs !

So I'd take it with a pinch of salt and I should think pediatric clinics and DUK should be furious and demand an apology for them potentially putting the wind up parents - haven't they got enough to cope with already without this sort of garbage!

 

[Bloden]

The scary thing for me is that no-one realised there was a problem with this lad. He must have been very good at pretending he was fine.

 

[trophywench]

If you ever read Tina's posts about her son, you'd realise that some people know they have a problem, everybody else (Mum, Dr, DSN, psych) knows they have a problem - but they are just not prepared to talk about it and that's that.

So it sometimes doesn't help even when it is recognised. Not that - as far as I'm aware - he did anything of that magnitude to anyone else, just himself really by NOT doing stuff instead.

Or .... are they trying to blame it on that as an excuse for a reason why?

I suppose the main question is - OK if it is to be blamed on that and they get him to open up and treat him somehow - can that actually stop him from going berserk again and doing something else like it?