Youth violence is an extreme form of aggression with the goal of physical harm, injury, or death. Examples of youth violence also include date a rape, homicides, and gang violence.
For teens, it is important to recognize that these types of violent behaviours are prevalent. Consequently, parents and educators need to take an active part in preventing youth violence in the lives of teens.
Media influence
Media influences teens and can cause one to act aggressively. Although it is difficult to determine whether violence in media leads directly to youth violence, studies have shown that playing violent video games increases aggressive thoughts and behaviours.
These video games decrease “helping behaviours” and reduce feelings of empathy. What’s more, violent video game users tend to interact with other aggressive teens, which makes one feel accepted and validated for your thoughts and feelings.
While video games often get the most attention, violence in media isn’t limited to video games. Violent media also can include the Internet, television, magazines, movies, music, advertising, social media, and more. Basically, media consists of anything you see, hear, or interact with.
Communities and neighbourhoods
Where teens live can also have an impact on you and lead you to act more aggressively. Youth violence can become a form of “street justice” in response to the lack of police protection in some neighbourhoods. When this happens, teens may attempt to secure the neighbourhood by using violence as a way of bringing order to the area. As a result, youth violence often manifests as gang violence, turf wars, gun wars, and other types of violence.
When teens live in socioeconomically challenged neighbourhoods, you may feel like your only option for survival is to join a gang or to engage in violence. When this line of thinking is the norm, teens are likely to act aggressively and participate in violent behaviours.
Domestic violence and child abuse
Teenagers who live with violence in the home learn by example and can become violent people as they grow up. They also are more likely to experience teen dating violence, either as a victim or an aggressor.
Other contributing factors include harsh parenting styles, along with chaos in the home, neglect, and rejection. Each of these situations can lead to youth violence later in life because of the lack of stability and structure in the home. Being violent gives teens a feeling of power and control—something they lack at home.
Insufficient Parental Supervision
When parents do not provide adequate supervision, teens are prone to engage in aggressive behaviours or criminal activity. Without adult supervision, teens do not have the resources needed to make good choices or to recognize risks.
Consequently, teens tend to make friends with the wrong people, take unnecessary risks, and experiment with things an involved parent would not allow. When parents are too permissive, teens often are not motivated to do well in school and may even stop caring about the future.
As a whole, teenagers need fair and firm discipline and consistent interaction with and direction from their parents. When parents take an active role in your lives, it reduces the likelihood of teen violence.
Peer pressure
Peer pressure plays a pivotal role in youth violence, especially because teens are more likely to engage in risky or violent behaviours when they act as a group. Teens who normally would not be aggressive or violent on their own often feel empowered when in a group.
Additionally, teens are more likely to be violent or aggressive when they feel pressured. They also may become violent in order to maintain their place in the group. Peer pressure can lead teens to engage in risk-taking behaviors.
Traumatic events
Dealing with traumatic events also can cause violent behavior in teens. For instance, teens who lose a friend in a car accident that they also were involved in often get angry at the fact that they were the ones that lived.
Because anger is a normal stage of grief, a violent outburst from these teens may seem justified. But, while anger is a normal emotion, it is not normal to be violent toward another person. When violence occurs, it should always be addressed.
Teens who exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be prone to violence. Violent outbursts are typically a symptom of PTSD, and if left untreated, can manifest in significantly violent situations. For this reason, it is extremely important for teens with PTSD to get the counseling and intervention that they need.
Mental Illness
Mental illness is another cause of violence among teens. Conditions including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder all have aggressive behaviours or angry feelings as common symptoms.
Teen mental illness sometimes hides behind other causes of youth violence. For instance, a teen with bipolar disorder may be using drugs. If this teen becomes violent, the drug use could hide the fact that the bipolar illness is part of the cause.
For this reason, it is important that teens engaging in violent behaviours are evaluated for a mental illness. By treating the entire person rather than just the symptoms, you are more likely to reduce the risk of additional violent outbursts.
