CASE STUDY 2: Martin Bryant & the Port Arthur Massacre

Hey, BCM again. So together as a group with Faizah, Ghee Kian, Wahiuzzaman and Elissa, we researched about the Port Arthur Massacre that occurred on 28th April 1996.

Martin Bryant was from Tasmania, Australia. He was pleaded guilty to murdering 35 people and injuring 23 others in the Port Arthur Massacre.

So a brief outline about Martin Bryant:

1. He likes guns and owns a shotgun and 2 semi-automatics
2. He enjoyed shooting dead animals with his air rifle when he was young and set himself on fire when he was 13.
3. He received a gun for his 14th birthday from his father
4. His father committed suicide by attaching diving weight belts to himself and drowned.
5. He worked with Helen Harvey as a handyman and was accused of killing her by crashing the car.
6. Martin Bryant had an IQ of 66 which is equivalent to an 11 year old.
7. Learning disabilities which hindered him in school

He was diagnosed with ASD(autism spectrum disorder) which means that the individual is detached from social cues. For example, inability to understand emotions. Furthermore coupled with his passion for firearms, it intensified his intention to use them without feeling any guilt of causing death.

It was suggested that Child’s Play influence and the exposure to bestial porn contributed to his tendency for violence. for example, in Child’s Play, the violence probably influenced him to go on a rampage.

Martin Bryant photoshopped by media to look more intimidating and psychotic. image from: https://image.slidesharecdn.com/texttypes-150921031839-lva1-app6892/95/language-analysis-text-types-15-638.jpg?cb=1442805797

In summary, media may have played a part in reinforcing his inclination towards extreme violence. Aside from media, dysfunctional family and learning disabilities played a part to allow his mental deficiency to worsen over the years. We believe it is due more to the lack of timely and appropriate intervention than media that resulted in his uncontrolled behavior.