School Violence

I. One of the biggest problems which the United States is faced with is juvenile crime, including violence, especially in our schools. This outburst of violence with our juveniles is frightening, and sometimes I question myself about wanting to be in the situation; but then I just remember why I want to be there and the questions disappear. I just feel that we, as parents, need to take care and claim responsibility for our children. Trust me, I understand how difficult it is to be a single parent, working full-time, and trying to create a better life for your family, but this all can be done and you can still raise a normal, outstanding, loving child. I realize that sometimes things seem so overwhelming, but if you take a step back and look at the big picture, you will feel differently. These juveniles just normally want some attention, or are having some difficulty in life and feel that there is no other way to resolve issues than with violence or attention getting tantrums. To me violence is not only a physical conflict, but I feel that sometimes the mental violence that these juveniles dish out is worse to take.

II. Many experts and child psychologists feel that juveniles commit crimes due to several risk factors that begin at a young age. Some of these risk factors associated with juvenile crimes are poverty, repeated exposure to violence, drugs, easy access to firearms, unstable family life and family violence, delinquent peer groups, and media violence. The most common of those factors being the demise of family life. The effect of the media on the juveniles today, and the increase of firearms available have also played a big role in the increase of juvenile crimes, especially in the schools. Parents need to remember that children are curious and we need to dispose of or safety lock any firearms or other weapons away. If we prevent our children from any access to temptation, that is one step closer to a solution.

The increase in family violence around our children is not healthy either. Our children are like little sponges when they are young and absorb any behavior we portray good or bad. Between 1976 and 1992 the number of juveniles living in poverty grew 42% and this caused an increase in crimes by juveniles. Many of these juvenile criminals have been abused or neglected and they also grew up in a single-parent household. Research has found that 53% of these children are more likely to be arrested and 38% more likely to commit a violent crime as an adult, than their counterparts who did not suffer such abuse. Some symptoms of child abuse are high levels of aggression, any physical signs, dirty clothes or self and antisocial behavior. These children are twice as likely to become the juvenile offenders. Also, improper parental care has been linked to delinquency such as mothers who drink alcohol or take drugs during pregnancy cause their babies to grow up with learning disorders, a problem which leads them to be juvenile criminals because they feel as if they do not fit in anywhere in society.

Another risk factor is the effect of the media on the juveniles of today. Before the time a child has reached seventh grade, the average child has witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on the television. There is no doubt that heavy exposure to televised violence is one of the causes of aggressive behavior, crime and violence in society. Television violence affects youngsters of all ages, of both genders, at all economic levels, and all levels of intelligence. Long-term childhood exposure to television is a casual factor behind one half of the homicides committed by juveniles in the United States. The increased availability of weapons legal or illegal has played