Youth Violence

Youth Violence

Diana Mayle

AIU Online

Abstract

From the playground to the streets, today’s children are striking out with deep-set hatred and lack of respect towards other children and adults. No longer is an argument settled with a fist fight. These children are using guns, knives and gang war-fare to intimidate, hurt or kill other children over minor offenses they feel were committed against them. Adults are afraid to walk the streets for fear of getting robbed, beaten or killed by children. Children are being intimidated and bullied in school which sometimes ends in suicide by the victims. When will we begin to take back our streets, making them once again safe to walk on without the fear of intimidation by a 12 or 13 year old gang members?

Youth Violence

“It’s 10 p.m. Do you care where your children are” (Baker, 2010, p.2). This is a variation of the often used television slogan that ran for years on local and syndicated television; however the slogan that caught our attention was not “do we care where are children are” but “do we know where are children are.” According to Community leaders in Harlem the amount and type of violence in youth have grown in alarming proportion. Community leaders have come together to try and make the summer season a safe and happy one for all residents (Baker, 2010).

The problem is not just in Harlem but all across the United States. Everyday children are being bullied in school, beaten on the way home from school, or tormented on the playground. Today’s youth have more items at their disposal now to aid in harassing and tormenting other children. They use the internet and programs such as Face Book, My Space or You Tube to post mean spirited messages about other children. They use the cell phone to send text messages to harass the unpopular child. These bullies have (in the past) caused children to commit suicide, refuse to attend school, refuse to use the school bathrooms, are afraid to walk home and sometimes...