There have always been periods in our history when towns and cities were extremely overcrowded (eg Victorian times, when people migrated to the cities for work), folk were very poor, children and indeed adults had to be content with 'cheap shit food', there were no opportunities for many young people save down the mines, in the mills or out in the fields. Before the NHS most people had no access to doctors, nurses or even a decent education. However I don't believe that the population was 'going quietly mad' then.

We need to investigate why certain individuals are mentally deranged and I wonder if it's because they feel alienated. By that I mean they are unsure of their identity or their place in society as a whole. They seek some sort of recognition, even if it means achieving it by violent and murderous acts.

The Dunblane killer had been rejected for youth work (for legitimate reasons) and felt ostracised and lonely. This provoked the terrible vengeance he wrought on that school. I'm sure the jihadi terrorists feel their religion is despised by the rest of us, and are drawn in by brain-washing fundamentalists as it's a better alternative to a powerless and fruitless life. Even mass-murderers have often been abused as children and have become dangerously hate-filled.

I am not advocating one gives killers cuddles. They need first and foremost to be securely detained, to protect us all. And I do think criminal justice must be brought to bear, and due punishment/containment meted out.

But we would do well to try to understand and get to the bottom of the root causes of anti-social acts and individual rebellion and violence.

It's basically the old 'mad or bad' dilemma isn't it?