Youth Violence Prevention - Why Young People Become Violent

Mid- to late adolescence is a period of significant developmental change and a time during which peer influences outweigh family influence. The strongest risk factors for adolescents ages 12 to 14 who commit violence at ages 15 to 18 are identified in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Late Risk Factors for Those Who Commit Violence at Ages 15-18
Strongest factors	Weak ties to conventional peers Ties to antisocial or delinquent peers Gang membership Involvement in other criminal acts
Additional factors shown to play a limited role	Psychological conditions, including restlessness, difficulty concentrating (males only), and risk taking Poor parent-child relations, including harsh or lax discipline, poor monitoring or supervision, and low parental involvement Aggression (males only) Male gender Poor attitude toward or performance in school Physical violence Crime, drugs, and disorganization in the neighborhood Antisocial parents Antisocial attitudes, beliefs Crimes against persons Problem (antisocial) behavior Low IQ Broken home Low family socioeconomic status or poverty Abusive parents Family conflict (males only) Substance abuse
Source: Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General, p. 60.

An accumulation of risk factors is more important in predicting violent behaviors than is the presence of any single factor. The more risk factors a child or young person is exposed to, the greater the likelihood that he or she will become violent.

CAN OTHER FACTORS LEAD TO YOUTH VIOLENCE?

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Some situations and conditions can influence the likelihood of violence or the form it takes. Situational factors - such as provoking, taunting, and demeaning interactions - can spark unplanned violence. The presence of a gun in certain situations can raise the level of violence.

The Surgeon General's Report found only limited evidence indicating a relationship between serious mental disorders and violence in adolescents or young adults in the general population, but young people with serious mental disorders who also abuse substances or have not received treatment may be at risk for violence.

WHAT FACTORS PROTECT AGAINST YOUTH VIOLENCE?

Protective factors - the personal characteristics and environmental conditions that help protect against a specific risk - provide some explanation as to why children and adolescents who face the same degree of risk may behave differently.

The research evidence about factors that protect against youth violence is not as extensive as is the research on risk factors, and the research must be considered preliminary. Although a number of protective factors have been proposed, only two have been found to moderate the risk of violence: an intolerant attitude toward deviance, including violence, and commitment to school. These factors reflect a commitment to traditional values. Both effects are small.