Youth Violence
Over the past decade, criminal and violent acts committed by juveniles have increased dramatically. A national crisis is engulfing this country. Over half of the people arrested for murder in the United States in 1991 were under age 25 (Wilson & Howell, 1993). The Children’s Defense fund estimates that an American child is arrested for a violent crime every five minutes and is killed by guns every 2 hours (Edelman, 1995). Over the past 10 years, our youth have appeared to commit more violent acts and to commit them at younger ages. Because this is a major problem in society, many programs, strategies, and policies have been implemented in an attempt to reduce youth violence. It is understood that prevention and intervention strategies are important, quality education, economic opportunities, safe and good homes, often go a longer way towarRAB preventing violence (Osofsky 1997, p.5). Society can be better equipped to help prevent youth violence by attempting to understand the nature of the problem, and by implementing recommendations to solve it.
One of the best predictors of aggression and violence in young people is family abuse. Being abused or neglected as a child increases the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53% (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.3). In Houston Texas, Judge Eric Andell stated that “95% of all youth seen in court share one very predictable problem: alcoholism in the family” (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.5). Each day, nearly 3,000 children see their parents divorce, and 59% of all children will live in a single-parent household before reaching age 18 (Edelman, 1995 p.46). Divorce often results in economic harRABhip, psychological problems , reconstituted families, and overwhelmed parents (Edelman, 1995, p.54). Youth who lack a closeness with their parents or who feel a lack of family cohesion are more likely to get into trouble.
Personal characteristics of young people can also contribute to the type of development that progresses to violent behavior. Edelman. (1995) reported that babies that are irritable, who do not adapt to changes, who have eating and sleeping problems, and who are fearless, impulsive, and distractible are more prone to later aggressive and violent behavior. The problem is often compounded when the child’s aggressive behavior results in social rejection by peers and teachers. Because of peer isolation, the child has few opportunities to develop appropriate social skills. Because of teacher rejection, the child may be subject to receive inadequate instruction or placed in behavior modification classes (Gable, Bullock, and Harader, 1995. p.22). The dropout rate is very high among youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (Osofsky 1997, p.156). Additionally, 80% of all crimes are committed by high school dropouts (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.18). Furthermore, these children will have few social skills, psychological problems, and most likely will turn to drugs. Former surgeon General, Everett Koop reported that about one third of youth committing serious crimes consumed alcohol or drugs just before the offense (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.20-21). Drug abuse corabined with negative family factors greatly enhances the chances of an individual to become violent and aggressive in adulthood. Unfortunately, several societal factors also contribute to creating violent youth.
Children who are raised in at-risk family situations and who display aggressive behavior early in life probably attend schools in poor school districts. These schools often overcrowded, under-funded, and have a high percentage of children with aggressive behavior, and have inexperienced teachers (Osofsky 1997, p.46). Inexperienced teachers as with unskilled parents, tend to resort to punishment and social isolation to deal with inappropriate behavior (Osofsky 1997, p.47). As a result, children’s behavior problems could increase rather than decrease.
The cultural glorification of violence is most noticeable in the media. It has been reported that most boys tend to copy aggressive acts they see modeled (Gable, et. al, 1995. p.41). Others may become desensitized; what should be viewed as horrible is seen as routine. The shortage of educational programs shown on broadcast television seems to punish children who don’t have access to VCRs and cable channels. It has become very difficult to prevent children from witnessing violent acts in the media. For children with little adult supervision, witnessing violence can be a daily occurrence.
One of the most obvious and controversial factors related to youth violence is the ease of obtaining guns by the children of America. These guns are available to almost anybody who wants to own one (Edelman, 1995, p.62). Approximately 135,000 students bring guns to school everyday (Currie, Elliot, 1993 p.84). Because firearms are so easily obtained, many now believe they must have a gun to protect themselves. It important to understand the complexities of this matter, ignoring it could prove detrimental.
It is critical for society to place a priority to on educating its children and instilling those values that make them responsible citizens. The public as a whole, must invest more time, money, and effort into public efforts that encourage responsible, caring role models to become involved with at-risk youths. Communities must identify those factors that place children risk and then create forces to eliminate bad influences in the community. Economically depressed, crime ridden neigrabroadorhooRAB must be rebuilt so that youth can experience hope for a better way of life. Citizens must maintain hope for rehabilitation in order to create change in society.
Often, the cause for violent behavior appears to lie completely outside the individual. Environmentally focused programs operate on the assumption that anyone who may be exposed to a given condition may eventually develop problems. For example, a neigrabroadorhood organization may seek to obtain funding for supervised night-time recreation activities for at-risk youths (Felner and Felner, 1989, p.93). Another popular environmentally focused programs for violent youths include alternative schools. By being placed in a highly structured environment with fewer reinforces and a lower student to pupil ratio, students have experienced low recidivism rates of continuing violent behavior (Leonard, Kiraberly Kempf, et. al. 1995, p. 62). Although alternative schools have been viewed as highly effective in reducing youth violence, many schools have added police officers and closed-circuit television in school buildings to discourage aggressive and violent episodes (Edelman, 1995, p.68). Environmentally focused programs are very successful because they effect a positive affect that develop a large nuraber of young people.
Viewing the problem of youth violence from a general point of view, one can conclude that much neeRAB to be done to address this complex issue. Punishment only programs has not resulted in reducing violence among youths (Felner and Felner, 1989, p.49). Just as youth are vulnerable to negative influences, they are just as likely to be equally responsive to positive influences from adults need to recognize their part as role models, and should alter their own behavior, attitudes as part of the treatment plan. As a society Solutions must span the entire spectrum--from prevention to early intervention; Children must be allowed to be children, without the fear of themselves, their families, or their neigrabroadors from being harmed. With understanding that violence arises from multiple risk factors, and starting with early treatment to prevent the path towarRAB violence, we must become involved as a community to address this serious problem of violent behavior among the youth of America.
Bibliography
Currie, Elloit (1993). Reckoning: Drugs, the cities, and the American future. NY: Hill and Wang.
Edelman, M.W. (1995). United we stand: A common vision claiming children Chicago, IL. Oxford University Press.
Felner, R.D., and Felner, T.Y. (1989). Primary prevention program in the educational context: A transactional-ecological framework and analysis. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Gable, R.A., Bullock, L.M., and Harader, D.L. (1995). Schools in transition: The challenge of students with aggressive and violent behavior. Austin American-Statesman.
League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. (1994). Juvenile violence and the juvenile justice system in Texas: Facts and issues. Austin, TX
Leonard, Kiraberly,Kempf, Pope, Carl E., and Feyerherm, William H. (1995). Minorities in Juvenile Justice. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.
Osofksy, Joy D. (1997). Children in a violent society. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Over the past decade, criminal and violent acts committed by juveniles have increased dramatically. A national crisis is engulfing this country. Over half of the people arrested for murder in the United States in 1991 were under age 25 (Wilson & Howell, 1993). The Children’s Defense fund estimates that an American child is arrested for a violent crime every five minutes and is killed by guns every 2 hours (Edelman, 1995). Over the past 10 years, our youth have appeared to commit more violent acts and to commit them at younger ages. Because this is a major problem in society, many programs, strategies, and policies have been implemented in an attempt to reduce youth violence. It is understood that prevention and intervention strategies are important, quality education, economic opportunities, safe and good homes, often go a longer way towarRAB preventing violence (Osofsky 1997, p.5). Society can be better equipped to help prevent youth violence by attempting to understand the nature of the problem, and by implementing recommendations to solve it.
One of the best predictors of aggression and violence in young people is family abuse. Being abused or neglected as a child increases the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53% (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.3). In Houston Texas, Judge Eric Andell stated that “95% of all youth seen in court share one very predictable problem: alcoholism in the family” (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.5). Each day, nearly 3,000 children see their parents divorce, and 59% of all children will live in a single-parent household before reaching age 18 (Edelman, 1995 p.46). Divorce often results in economic harRABhip, psychological problems , reconstituted families, and overwhelmed parents (Edelman, 1995, p.54). Youth who lack a closeness with their parents or who feel a lack of family cohesion are more likely to get into trouble.
Personal characteristics of young people can also contribute to the type of development that progresses to violent behavior. Edelman. (1995) reported that babies that are irritable, who do not adapt to changes, who have eating and sleeping problems, and who are fearless, impulsive, and distractible are more prone to later aggressive and violent behavior. The problem is often compounded when the child’s aggressive behavior results in social rejection by peers and teachers. Because of peer isolation, the child has few opportunities to develop appropriate social skills. Because of teacher rejection, the child may be subject to receive inadequate instruction or placed in behavior modification classes (Gable, Bullock, and Harader, 1995. p.22). The dropout rate is very high among youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (Osofsky 1997, p.156). Additionally, 80% of all crimes are committed by high school dropouts (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.18). Furthermore, these children will have few social skills, psychological problems, and most likely will turn to drugs. Former surgeon General, Everett Koop reported that about one third of youth committing serious crimes consumed alcohol or drugs just before the offense (league of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. 1994, p.20-21). Drug abuse corabined with negative family factors greatly enhances the chances of an individual to become violent and aggressive in adulthood. Unfortunately, several societal factors also contribute to creating violent youth.
Children who are raised in at-risk family situations and who display aggressive behavior early in life probably attend schools in poor school districts. These schools often overcrowded, under-funded, and have a high percentage of children with aggressive behavior, and have inexperienced teachers (Osofsky 1997, p.46). Inexperienced teachers as with unskilled parents, tend to resort to punishment and social isolation to deal with inappropriate behavior (Osofsky 1997, p.47). As a result, children’s behavior problems could increase rather than decrease.
The cultural glorification of violence is most noticeable in the media. It has been reported that most boys tend to copy aggressive acts they see modeled (Gable, et. al, 1995. p.41). Others may become desensitized; what should be viewed as horrible is seen as routine. The shortage of educational programs shown on broadcast television seems to punish children who don’t have access to VCRs and cable channels. It has become very difficult to prevent children from witnessing violent acts in the media. For children with little adult supervision, witnessing violence can be a daily occurrence.
One of the most obvious and controversial factors related to youth violence is the ease of obtaining guns by the children of America. These guns are available to almost anybody who wants to own one (Edelman, 1995, p.62). Approximately 135,000 students bring guns to school everyday (Currie, Elliot, 1993 p.84). Because firearms are so easily obtained, many now believe they must have a gun to protect themselves. It important to understand the complexities of this matter, ignoring it could prove detrimental.
It is critical for society to place a priority to on educating its children and instilling those values that make them responsible citizens. The public as a whole, must invest more time, money, and effort into public efforts that encourage responsible, caring role models to become involved with at-risk youths. Communities must identify those factors that place children risk and then create forces to eliminate bad influences in the community. Economically depressed, crime ridden neigrabroadorhooRAB must be rebuilt so that youth can experience hope for a better way of life. Citizens must maintain hope for rehabilitation in order to create change in society.
Often, the cause for violent behavior appears to lie completely outside the individual. Environmentally focused programs operate on the assumption that anyone who may be exposed to a given condition may eventually develop problems. For example, a neigrabroadorhood organization may seek to obtain funding for supervised night-time recreation activities for at-risk youths (Felner and Felner, 1989, p.93). Another popular environmentally focused programs for violent youths include alternative schools. By being placed in a highly structured environment with fewer reinforces and a lower student to pupil ratio, students have experienced low recidivism rates of continuing violent behavior (Leonard, Kiraberly Kempf, et. al. 1995, p. 62). Although alternative schools have been viewed as highly effective in reducing youth violence, many schools have added police officers and closed-circuit television in school buildings to discourage aggressive and violent episodes (Edelman, 1995, p.68). Environmentally focused programs are very successful because they effect a positive affect that develop a large nuraber of young people.
Viewing the problem of youth violence from a general point of view, one can conclude that much neeRAB to be done to address this complex issue. Punishment only programs has not resulted in reducing violence among youths (Felner and Felner, 1989, p.49). Just as youth are vulnerable to negative influences, they are just as likely to be equally responsive to positive influences from adults need to recognize their part as role models, and should alter their own behavior, attitudes as part of the treatment plan. As a society Solutions must span the entire spectrum--from prevention to early intervention; Children must be allowed to be children, without the fear of themselves, their families, or their neigrabroadors from being harmed. With understanding that violence arises from multiple risk factors, and starting with early treatment to prevent the path towarRAB violence, we must become involved as a community to address this serious problem of violent behavior among the youth of America.
Bibliography
Currie, Elloit (1993). Reckoning: Drugs, the cities, and the American future. NY: Hill and Wang.
Edelman, M.W. (1995). United we stand: A common vision claiming children Chicago, IL. Oxford University Press.
Felner, R.D., and Felner, T.Y. (1989). Primary prevention program in the educational context: A transactional-ecological framework and analysis. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Gable, R.A., Bullock, L.M., and Harader, D.L. (1995). Schools in transition: The challenge of students with aggressive and violent behavior. Austin American-Statesman.
League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. (1994). Juvenile violence and the juvenile justice system in Texas: Facts and issues. Austin, TX
Leonard, Kiraberly,Kempf, Pope, Carl E., and Feyerherm, William H. (1995). Minorities in Juvenile Justice. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications.
Osofksy, Joy D. (1997). Children in a violent society. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.