Violence Among Youths

     Ever since the terrible tragedy at Columbine High School, there has been a numerous list of recent school shootings in America. Youth violence is a major issue in today’s society. Many people dread what causes adolescents to be so violent, committing horrible crimes.     

The article “On Punishment and Teen Killers,” by Jennifer Jenkins, explains why teens should be punished as adults and how the media is influencing the youth to commit serious crimes. The author, Jennifer Jenkins, shares her case where her sister with her unborn child, were murdered by a teen with a gun. She explains that there are advocates who wish to minimize the offender's culpability simply because of their age. Jenkins add that in America, weapons are easily available to our youth, and that they grow in a violence-loving culture. She says that the Inuit people of northern Canada had no juvenile crime at all until 1980 with the introduction of television into their culture, which influenced the teens to commit crimes. Jenkins affirms that if brain development would be the cause of the teens to commit crimes, so then the whole world should have the same rate of juvenile crimes.

A trend analysis of juvenile homicide offenses shows that since the mid 1970's, the number of homicides in which no firearm was involved has remained fairly constant. However, homicides by juveniles involving a firearm have increased nearly threefold. In addition, during this same period, the number of juvenile arrests for weapons violations increased 117 percent. When guns are the weapon of choice, juvenile violence becomes deadly.

What does Columbine, Sandy Hook, and the Edlington murders all have in common? These were all violent crimes, committed within the last decade, by people under the age of 21. Every time you turn on the television, there is news of children engaging in disruptive, dangerous behaviors. Juvenile detention camps are filled with children under the age 18 who have maimed and murdered others. Looking at data from the National Criminal Data base, it is a clear fact that children’s behavior is significantly deteriorated from 20 years ago. Some critics would argue that the rate of children’s misbehavior has been the same through the decades, but this paper will present evidence that children’s behavior is indeed on the incline. Factors to support this view include: data of school violence, the severity of crimes committed, and the increase of diagnosing children with mental and behavior disorders.

Researchers have found that adolescent murders tend to be not only violent, but extremely violent. One teen murderer stabbed his victim forty-six times (Kreiner 41). Josh McDowell, in his book Right from Wrong says, “Today’s youth are not playing loud music and wearing radical hairstyles; they have graduated, it seems, to a level of adolescent aggression, promiscuity, cynicism, and violence that bristles the hair on parents’ necks” (McDowell 6). The most significant change in the youth has been in their attitudes. The new generation is more inclined to resort to violence over trivial issues or for no apparent reason. Violent juvenile crime is now a national epidemic and is predicted to get worse. The group most associated with juvenile violence in America is males aged fifteen to nineteen. Statistics show that this segment of the male population will increase by 30 percent by the year 2020 (Grapes

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

Teen Violence is a big dilemma in today’s society. Violent behaviors usually start from family and peers, as well as teens observing it at there neighborhoods or communities. These behaviors are reinforced by what youth see on television, on the Internet, in video games, movies, music videos, and what they hear in their music. When children are disciplined with severe corporal punishment or verbal abuse, or when they are physically or sexually abused, or when they witness such behavior in their home, it is not surprising that they behave violently toward others. Teen Violence has had such an impact in our youth today that it leads many destructive things and that’s why we have so much violence today.

If teens are regularly exposed to violence within their neighborhoods, then they will strive to pick up these violent habits that their neighborhood practices. Not only do they witness violence, but eventually they will become violent teens themselves because of those who encourage them. The individuals who these teens usually associate with, may pressure them into making remorseful decisions throughout their teen years. Some of these teens who commit violent actions also have an ease of access to weapons and illegal drugs. The Sentencing Project concluded that teen violence was beginning to soar during the 1990’s was because of “emerging crack cocaine markers and easy access to illegal guns” (Nellis 5). Drugs and alcohol evidently may have an effect on the decisions that someone may make, especially regretting decisions. A teen’s neighborhood and influences have an immense impact on the violent acts that these teens

● 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).

Juveniles cases can get transferred to a criminal court through a process called a “waiver.” Factors that contribute to a reasonable and fair waiver includes the minor committing a serious crime, having a lengthy criminal record, unsuccessful past rehabilitation or that youth services would have to work with the defender for a long period of time. Currently, today 2 states, Kansas and Vermont have statuary provisions for trying children as young as 10 years old, while another handful of states are trying to move forward with similar legislation. In comparison, the state of Tennessee there is no minimum age for juveniles being transferred to adult criminal courts We all know the saying, “Old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the crime.” However, is this statement true at all? Americans first started to realize the problem, when the term “juvenile superpredators” was coined in the late 1990’s.

Violence among youth has become a serious problem worldwide. In 2016, the United States ranked homicide as the third leading cause of death for people ages ten to twenty-four years old. Homicide is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death for this age group worldwide. A juvenile is defined as a person who is under the age of eighteen. Six hundred and five juveniles were arrested in 2015 for murder, two thousand seven hundred and forty-five for forcible rape, and twenty-one thousand nine hundred and nine-three for aggravated assault. These acts of violence make the communities in which citizens live more dangerous. As these crime rates rise, the values of the homes and business begin to go down as well. This has become an issue for concern because more and more youth are being convicted of serious crimes. In 2010, juveniles made up 13.7% of those who were arrested from violent crimes. While youth violence has always been present in society, it is becoming present through technology too. In earlier times in order to hurt someone they had to be physically present. Now a days, it has become easier to bully someone from his or her home through the Internet. 15.5% of students admit to being bullied through electronics in 2015. Youth violence is a cause for concern in Family and Consumer Science related fields because those who are working with juveniles should be aware of the problems they are facing.

Growing up in America today is different for most young people than it was for their parents. The fear of violence and crime seems to be everywhere. Every day, millions of people are killed by children. America is listed as a leading nation of assaults and murders (prothrow-Stith). Young criminals strike all age groups. Statistics show that 55 percent of crimes are against someone of adolescent age and are committed by children in the same age group (Sexton). A concealed gun or knife has become a common accessory such as a pocket comb. Many young people are killed for a jacket, a pair of sneakers, a misinterpreted glance, or an iPod. Researchers state that children exhibit innocence and therefore were thought to be incapable of having criminal

A. The juvenile may not feel remorseful for his acts because the money he was getting was going to kick start his plans of getting a real job and be a part of society so he has conflict with his id and super ego. His treatment should be counseling and education on why his choice of his path was wrong. He should go through some operant conditioning so he can learn from his behavior. He should have a proper diet assigned so that he won’t have any dietary influences.

Teen violence is a term used to define collective behaviors by teenagers that are not acceptable by the society. These behaviors range from slapping, bullying, hitting, assault and even armed robbery. Teen violence has been affecting many societies and has destructive history to communities. Although many factors have been pointed out to cause teen violence, studies show that modeling behaviors are the most common causes of teen violence in the society. These include behaviors as seen in the movies, on the streets, on the video games and at home. Social engineering factors and psychology behind teen violence are some of the main challenges contributing to teen violence. Video games, in particular, have caused the prevalence

            From a scientific standpoint, however, defined causes for youth violence simply have not been found. In fact, a study of youth violence held in 2014, focusing around candid conversation with youths between the ages 14 and 22 who had been involved in violent behavior and fights about the causes of youth violence, found “...no predominant cause of violence emerged from the discussion” (Cheng, et al. 288). Simply put, evidence pointing out any primary cause of youth violence does not exist. With mental illness, poor lifestyle choices, hostile environments, ineffective parenting, and peer pressure all playing roles, one must consider whether violent media and entertainment are primary causes of youth violence. Even if sufficient evidence existed to prove violent media was a significant factor in causing youth violence, one cannot claim that it causes more youth violence than other