Violence is a cycle that needs to be broken, and by figuring out the root causes of violence, we can try to cut it off before it begins or continues on its never-ending rampage. Here are the causes of youth violence and their brief explanations, based on the viewpoint of youths themselves.
Top 10 Causes of Youth Violence (ranked by children)1. The Media - Violence seen in video games or on television is, in many cases, believed to desensitize children to the idea of violence and make them more prone to commit it
2. Substance Abuse - Abuse of drugs and/ or alcohol (mind-altering substances) may cause children to more easily perform acts of violence 3. Gangs - Youths with gang affiliations may feel forced to commit unwanted/unnecessary acts of violence 4. Unemployment - With limited jobs available, youths have no way to spend their time or feel like they are contributing to society, so they do so violently 5. Weapons - Easily accessible weapons provide an outlet for youths to express violent tendencies 6. Poverty - Lack of money/resources may provoke youths to lash out against their peers or feel more easily threatened and transfer that into violence 7. Peer Pressure - Youths especially are highly influenced by the actions and emotions of other students their age, so violence may be somewhat of a domino effect (everyone doing it because they saw others doing it) 8. Broken Homes - An unstable shelter may very well lead to violence if kids try to vent because of their home situation 9. Poor Family Environment / Bad Neighborhoods - Living in an unstable home may lead to violence, and violence may be even more prevalent in unsafe areas 10. Intolerance / Ignorance - Being unaccepting of differences or ignorant about people/violence in general may lead to violence |