PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Susan Hatters Friedman AU - Ryan C. W. Hall AU - Renée M. Sorrentino TI - Commentary: Women, Violence, and Insanity DP - 2013 Dec 01 TA - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online PG - 523--528 VI - 41 IP - 4 4099 - http://jaapl.org/content/41/4/523.short 4100 - http://jaapl.org/content/41/4/523.full SO - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2013 Dec 01; 41 AB - There is less research about homicidal women than about their male counterparts. Women are often considered the gentler sex, and their risk of perpetrating violent acts is underestimated. In attempts to understand violence by women with mental illness, female homicide offenders found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) are an important subpopulation. Understanding common factors in this subpopulation (such as psychosis with religious delusions) may help in preventing severe violence perpetrated by women with mental illness. However, as with other crimes, those with mental illness who commit homicide may often have rational, nonpsychotic motives (such as anger, jealousy, self-defense, money, or criminal intent) and would not be captured in a study of those found NGRI. Further, caution must be used when studying an NGRI population, as there are potential gender biases in findings of insanity.