Youth Violence

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Fear of youth violence is a constant concern by millions of people all over the world. Kids seem to take up more and more space of crimes that are usually committed by adults over the age of 18. "Statistics confirm that more horrendous crimes are being committed by increasingly younger children" (Levine 27). These crimes committed by youth's are caused by many different reasons: Poverty, neighborhoods, schools, parents, and TV, are the main concerns. But what is in most people's minds is what we can do to help prevent this violence. Although there are many different methods for reducing youth violence such as administering harsher punishments and steering kids away from gang influences, the most effective is training in conflict resolution because it gives kids another alternative to fighting. There are many different reasons as to why kids administer violence. Families, neighborhoods, peer groups, television, schools, and your personal factors are the main reasons. According to Joy G. Dryfoos, "Children who demonstrate antisocial behavior come from very non-supportive families at two extremes: either the family is repressive and abusive, or it seriously neglects the child from the early years on" (71). Parental neglect is a strong predictor of violence in a child, and parental rejection is the most powerful predictor. "The closer the child's relationship with his parents, the more he is attached to and identified with them, the lower his chances of delinquency" (Hirschi 71). Neighborhoods and peer groups are also a great influence on kids and their crimes. Growing in an underclass neighborhood is closely related with the risk of delinquency. Not all poor people are criminals, but drugs, guns and poverty are identified as causes o... ... middle of paper ... ... violent. There isn't much we can do as friend, but try to make them realize that there is always another and better way out of problems. It is very important for people to learn about these conflict resolution courses because if most people just think the way they do, where would the world stand 30 years from now. Our communities are deteriorating because we lack the capacity to change the way we are. Where has all the respect gone? I've been raised knowing that you should respect your elders. But all this violence is hurting elders, and there is no respect. These courses will not only help youth's with student's problems, but they will help parents with their children, and adults with their friends, teachers and students etc. These courses highly encourage families to look into these courses, because they will make their lives and other peoples lives much better.

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