Youth Violence And Violence

There is no single cause of violence in individuals, but a common factor often is family dysfunction. A youth’s home environment is a key factor in the development of violent behavior. Similar studies conducted by Dr. Laurence Steinberg, Professor of Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, author of “Youth Violence: Do Parents and Families Make a Difference?” and Dr. Delbert S. Elliott, the Founding Director and Psychologist in the Department of Sociology at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, revealed the issues concerning the role of parents and families in the genesis of youth violence (Steinberg 31; Elliott 3). Steinberg asserts that violent youths come from families with histories of domestic violence, where they were exposed to abusive, hostile and conflict-ridden situations regularly and parental negligence or disengagement. In light of the two research articles, it is likely that exposure to violence or abuse in the home, aggressive and punitive child-rearing, or a home environment in which parents are not adequately involved in their child’s life are among the most vital risk factors for the child’s ensuing involvement in violence.

Biological factors may have some influence, but light, on youth violence. This includes the development of the brain. Some children may be biologically more influenced toward violence by the time they reach adulthood due to the knowledge they have developed throughout their childhood. Dr. Steinberg shares that this does not necessarily mean that violence is genetically transmitted. It is likely that poor prenatal care, prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol, exposure to high levels of lead in the environment, and early abuse or neglect can alter brain develo...

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... children and, in particular, to engage parents in the business of child-rearing. Steinberg shares that we cannot afford to have a generation of young people come of age where one-third does not have parents who are sufficiently engaged in their lives (Steinberg 37). In addition to policies designed to limit young peoples’ access to lethal weapons, he can think of no more important strategy than one designed to reduce abusive, hostile, and negligent parenting and promote healthy parent-child relationships (38). This strategy can reduce youth violence by improving prenatal care, encouraging family-friendly tactics that reduce poverty, expanding parent education, prevent and treat mental health and substance abuse problems, and enhance parental effectiveness. What research has shared makes it possible to stop family dysfunction from leading to youth violence.