Consequences of Youth Violence
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth violence spans the ages of 10 to 24, but the patterns that lead to youth violence likely can begin much younger, in early childhood. There are numerous consequences of youth violence -- for the perpetrator, the victims and society as a whole. Youth violence can involve bullying, physical violence, sexual violence, and intimidation.
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Absenteeism from School
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Approximately 20 percent of high school students report having been bullied at school in 2009 according to the CDC. Over 30 percent have been involved in a physical fight. According to Parenting Bookmark, 160,000 children are estimated to miss school every day across the United States because of fear of bullying, attack or intimidation by other students.
Public Services Costs
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Statistics gathered in 2009 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 700,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 receive treatment in emergency departments every year for injuries that were caused by youth violence-related attacks. This does not include victims outside of these ages who received emergency department treatment as a consequence of youth violence.
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Loss of Social Integration Skills
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The more embedded that young people become in violent behavior and/or gang culture, the more cut off they are from normal social integration. They can lose the skills to negotiate with other people in a nonviolent way when disputes or conflicts arise. The World Report on Violence and Health emphasizes social integration and teaching social skills as one of the most effective ways of guiding young people away from violence.
Self-Destructive Behavior
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The American Psychological Association explains that there is a strong link between youth violence and self-destructive behavior. The reason for this is that youth violence is often a symptom of not being able to express emotions such as anger and distress in a less dangerous way. Kinds of self-destructive behavior that might result are suicide attempts, self-harm, drug and alcohol use, use of firearms, and getting into trouble with authority figures. Thus, the perpetrator becomes her own victim as well as causing devastating damage to others.
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