Violence Among Youth

Children can be scared by things that happen to them during their developmental years and even though it is said “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”, that is not always the way it really turns out for a child. If a child does not develop proper self-esteem and self worth the adult that they grow into does not function properly in society. How children are treated by their parents defines how they interact with people when they grow up.

It makes the possibility for violence grow stronger and stronger as the child grows in age until he or she takes a liking to violence,

Dr. Garbarino (1999) proposes common factors that are trending when it comes to an increase in violence among young boys, but does not state that such trends are causes of violence. Risk factors, especially in inner-city neighborhoods, such as poor quality of education, low socioeconomic status, limited healthcare options, multiple family residences, lack of a father figure, and high crime may lead an increase in violent nature for male youth. In addition, the book mentions four specific problems that provide a foundation for violence. These four problems include, attachment, abandonment by mother, abandonment by father, and

At young ages, children can be influenced greatly by the things they see around them. A child’s mind is easily influenced at young ages. Fear is a major influence that can shape the way a young girl/boy grows up. In the article “Why boys become Vicious”, Golding states, “when people are afraid they discover the violence within” (Golding).

Children react to their environment in different ways, and those reactions can vary, depending on the child 's gender and age. Children exposed to family violence are more likely to develop behavioral, emotional, psychological, and social problems than those who are not. Recent research indicates that children who witness domestic violence show anger and temperament problems, depression, low self-esteem, and more anxiety than children who do not witness violence in the home. The trauma they experience can show up in behavioral, physical, social, and emotional disturbances that affect their development and can continue into adulthood.

Many studies show that children are more prone to violence due to a child’s undeveloped brain. “Children who are regularly exposed to more violent media have an increased probability of behaving more aggressively in real life (Anderson).” Furthermore, children nowadays are exposed to excessive amounts of violence in media, increasing their risks of violence when older (Anderson). Anderson explains, children are likely to become “emotionally desensitized to the violence” being portrayed. Negative actions may happen without concern or acknowledgement that something is wrong (Anderson). According to Anderson, young children will be meaner and more aggressive. The more contact with media violence a child gets, the more likely they are to be aggressive, as he or she gets older

● James Q. Wilson, among others, warned of increased levels of juvenile violence. Wilson asserted that “by the end of the decade [i.e., by 2000] there will be a million more people between the ages of 14 and 17 than there are now. . .Six percent of them will become high rate, repeat offenders— 30,000 more young muggers, killers and thieves than we have now. Get ready” (Wilson, 1995, p. 507).

Youth violence occurs all of the world. Some cases are more serious than others. I have encountered youth violence many times. One time I encountered youth violence was a couple years ago when a cop held his family hostage. Later he came out with a gun and threatened to shoot at the police, who were on the soon to become crime scene. The cop then proceeded to go inside and murder his six-year-old son and his wife. After this occurred, he set his house into flames and committed suicide. This act of violence has affected my life, made me think about what I can do about youth violence, and causes of youth violence.

To start off, as most of us have already know, social and cultural norms are one of the factor that influence in shaping one’s behavior, and one of them include the use of violence. The cultural norm, such one that encourage the use of violence as normal method of solving problem within families would be a risk factor of having the child likely to use violence once he or she grow up. According to Esposito, a psychotherapist, "Boys exposed to domestic violence may channel their feelings through aggressive acts such as fighting,

Teenage murders may be unprecedented, but violence is not. The past has followed us right up to today. Several national magazines recently ran alarming stories about the epidemic of criminal and group violence. Rolling Stone in "A Pistol-Whipped Nation" and both Time and Newsweek ran alarming cover stories about the "virtual epidemic of youth violence." Newsweek's "Teen Violence: Wild in the Streets," decried the number of young people carrying guns, using them, being shot, and being killed. Accompanying all this was a casual if not blase attitude indicating that, as one expert quoted in Time put it, "Violence is hip right now."

In the world people idolize the idea of the aggressive and powerful man, but this is a dangerous icon to present to children. Taken to an extreme it can cause the cycle of toxic masculinity to begin. Toxic masculinity is a dangerous set of ideals and beliefs, it provides a dangerous mindset of violent behavior to young boys, leads to anger issues, depression, and a severe urge to compensate for perceived inadequacies by the use of violence in the teenage years, can lead to an adulthood filled with violence towards family, and others, and allows the cycle to repeat.

Some examples of the effects of verbal abuse are a lack of self-control, a higher probability of delinquency, and feelings of anger. As speculated by researchers, Evans et al., they “[view the] lack of self-control as the personal characteristic that links inept parenting practices such as verbal abuse … to adolescent antisocial behavior”(1098). Whenever a parent verbally abuses his children, he is affecting the way that they are able to control themselves around him (the parent) and also other people that the children comes in contact with. Other examples of the physical effects of verbal abuse is misbehavior, frustration, and a desire to get back at their parents for how they have been treated. When parents mistreat their child, they build up “feelings [that] increase the risk of delinquency because they foster belligerence and explosiveness… and create a desire for retaliation and revenge” (1098). Children that are verbally abused are more likely to struggle with controlling their anger. These children are more likely to become criminals because they have so much pent up anger that has been placed there by their parents. When parents abuse their children, they physically affect them because the child lacks self-control, is more likely to become a delinquent, and has problems with

Adolescent violence has turned into an expanding issue in the U.S. youth violence and young people raised in the 1990s and has stayed high. Youth are the in all probability gathering to be casualties or culprits of high school violence, however the after effects of teenager violence influence everybody. Youth brutality insights demonstrate this is a significant issue: A normal of 15 youngsters are killed every day in the U.S., and more than 80 percent of those are killed with firearms (Khey, 2008). In 2004, brutality insights report 750,000 youngsters were dealt with in doctor 's facilities for roughness related wounds (Khey, 2008). One third of secondary school understudies reported being included in a battle at school in 2004, and 17 percent reported conveying a weapon to class in the month going before the 2004 overview (Khey, 2008). 1 in 12 young people in secondary school are harmed or undermined with a weapon every year (School Violence in America, 2015). 30 percent of junior and senior secondary school understudies are included in tormenting every year as the casualty, spook, or both (School Violence in America, 2015). According to a savagery measurements report by the U.S. Mystery Service, in the earlier decade, the chances of a secondary school understudy being harmed or debilitated with a weapon were around 1 in 14, and the chances of an adolescent being in a physical battle were 1 in 7 (Hiscock, 1926). Youth roughness can influence anybody, however a few

Statistics indicate many aggressors at some point or another have witnessed acts of violence. During childhood, these observed behaviors can have a major impact and influence on adolescent and adult attitudes, perception of self and others. "Children become more susceptible and prone to negative and dangerous behaviors which can

Children learn very early about right and wrong. The exposure to violence at a young age can have an effect on a person’s development and behavior as an adult. Children who witness violence often are more aggressive. Those rejected by their parents are more likely to experience PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and problems with social information processing, which can lead to violence toward their intimate partners. A violent upbringing and a lack of early positive experiences, increases a child’s tendency to become violent in the future.