Fear of Youth violence Essay is a constant concern by millions of people all over the world.
Kids seem to take up more and more space of crimes that are usually committed by adults over the age of 18. “Statistics confirm that more horrendous crimes are being committed by increasingly younger children” (Levine 27). These crimes committed by youth’s are caused by many different reasons: Poverty, neighborhoods, schools, parents, and TV, are the main concerns. But what is in most people’s minds is what we can do to help prevent this violence. Although there are many different methods for reducing youth violence such as administering harsher punishments and steering kids away from gang influences, the most effective is training in conflict resolution because it gives kids another alternative to fighting.
There are many different reasons as to why kids administer violence. Families, neighborhoods, peer groups, television, schools, and your personal factors are the main reasons. According to Joy G. Dryfoos, “Children who demonstrate antisocial behavior come from very non-supportive families at two extremes: either the family is repressive and abusive, or it seriously neglects the child from the early years on” (71). Parental neglect is a strong predictor of violence in a child, and parental rejection is the most powerful predictor. “The closer the child’s relationship with his parents, the more he is attached to and identified with them, the lower his chances of delinquency” (Hirschi 71).
Neighborhoods and peer groups are also a great influence on kids and their crimes. Growing in an underclass neighborhood is closely related with the risk of delinquency. Not all poor people are criminals, but drugs, guns and poverty are identified as causes of delinquency. These delinquents usually have the lack of role models, good schools, and a nice community.
Your friends are also a great influence on what you become or what you do with your future. If you are in contact with peers who use drugs, or those who are delinquents, there is a big percentile that you would become a criminal. “The strongest and most immediate cause of the actual onset of serious violent behavior is involvement with a delinquent peer group”(Elliot 72). This is where violence, crime, and delinquent behavior are encouraged. One of the easiest ways to access violent scenes is through television programs. Every time you get home, and turn on the TV a violent scene usually comes on.
This is very sad, because many people around the world are concerned with all the violent acts that occur everyday. Kids feel that Robocop and Hulk are great models, but these characters are a bad influence on children. Growing up to be a violent person isn’t the right road to take. At school, the fight for status and status related confrontations cause violence. Academically poor students are usually those who are aggressive troublemakers, in or out of class.
In addition to all these factors, your individual factors also encourage youth to violence. Low intelligence, hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorder are all connected to violence. Your moral values also have a great impact on the delinquents. “Our poverty-one which makes us particularly susceptible to the crime contagion-is poverty of values”(Feder 76). Gangs are usually made up of kids of different ages.
Gangsters are usually males ranging from 8-22. Most of them are either killed or imprisoned before the age of 22. But what attracts kids to gangs? Partying and fighting are what usually attracts kids. But not only male’s make up gangs.
Most girls just hang around the males, and go around just as company. Most gangs are made up for a way to get power and protection from the crime in their communities. But usually gangs draw identity; acceptance, security and attention kids are not getting at home. “Gang members’ loyalty to one another, even unto death presents a strong appeal to abused or neglected children”(Hacker 90). Youth violence is reduced in many different ways. Prevention, punishment, parents and schools can help steer kids away from violence.
In order to stop crime, it is important to prevent it. Trying to stop crime before it happens might help stop youth violence. Punishments are said to help kids stop committing crimes. .
