They may hear someone speaking to them, but no one is there. The content of these voices may vary, but it is typically pejorative or threatening. Generally, violent and criminal acts directly attributable to schizophrenia account for only a very small proportion of such acts in society. When they do occur, it may be because patients become so paranoid that they strike out at others in response to perceived threats, or they may have a command hallucination instructing them to hurt others. It is more common for hallucinations to instruct patients to hurt themselves, however, so instances of harming others are rare.
Violence can also occur when schizophrenia is compounded by untreated drug use.
Therefore, while people with schizophrenia can hurt others, they are far more likely to hurt themselves. When they are violent, it is most often because they have not been adequately treated. It is far more likely for those with schizophrenia to be the objects of violence and crime than perpetrators. The mainstay of successful treatment for schizophrenia is the class of drugs referred to as antipsychotics . Antipsychotic medication decreases most of the major symptoms of schizophrenia and prevents relapses.