Leading Causes of Violence Among Youth

Violence among our youth has become a growing problem.

Violence among youth has become a growing threat to communities nationwide. While nobody knows exactly what causes youth to act out, there are some factors that can enhance violent tendencies in children. These causes can range from drug abuse to abuse at home as well as being the victim of a bully at school. It is up to parents to look for signs that their child is either the victim of crimes or is becoming violent themselves.

Abuse At Home

Violence generally begins in the home.

When children see the adults in the home acting out in violence, this is the acceptable behavior that they learn. These children are the ones who are generally bullies at school and grow up to be violent criminals. Studies have shown that when a child is abused at home, he is more likely to abuse those around him in adulthood. Violence in the home is not the only family factor that can lead to violence in youth. When a child is raised in poverty or a split home, these can also lead to violence.

Bullying at School

Bullying at school can lead to violence in youth.

When a child is bullied at school, she feels that the only way to get away from it is to become violent too. Bullying can also lead to self-esteem issues. If left untreated they can lead to acts of violence by the victim or even suicide. Many schools are implementing anti-bullying strategies at school. After the suicide of Phoebe Prince, who authorities believe was a victim of bullying at school in January 2010 in Massachusetts, they quickly realized that bullying is a large problem and have taken measures to put an end to it. Nationwide standards also are coming into place to put an end to bullying. This includes teacher education to notice the warning signs of bullying before it gets out of hand.

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse remains the leading cause in youth violence.

Research shows that youth who use drugs, such as methamphetamine, are more likely to act out violently. People who were once sociable become extremely aggressive when addicted to drugs. Reasons for violence can range from needing money to feed their addictions to drug deals that go wrong. Many states adopting medical marijuana laws are noticing a rise in drug abuse and violent crimes among juveniles. For example, in April, 2010, in Kalispell, Montana, five youths have been charged in the beating death of a medical marijuana patient, Wesley Collins. Authorities believe they beat him to death for marijuana and his medical marijuana card.

References

• Flathead Beacon
• National Institute of Drug Abuse
• Surgeon General