May 20 2008
Youth Violence: How Real is the Risk
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Dating violence is a problem that starts early and can happen to anyonone. Data from a study of 8th and 9th grade students showed 25% had been victims of nonsexual dating violence and 8% had been victims of sexual dating violence
Youth violence may have peaked in the mid to late 1990’s however it remains a leading killer of young people. According to statistics released by the Centers on Disease Control (CDC) more than 877,700 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 were injured in 2002, and approximately 1 in 13 were injured.
Each day over 15 youth are murdered in the United States. Shockingly, homicide remains the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 overall. Only vehicular accidents claim more young lives each year.
The majority of the young people who are killed, 79%, are killed by fiarms. Areas of the country that have imposed limitations on firearms and ammunitions purchases have wittnessed a decline in both murders and suicides by young people.
Between 1994 and 1999, 172 students ages 5 to 18 were killed on or near school grounds or at school-related activities (Anderson et al. 2001).
More than 50% of all school-associated violent deaths occur at the beginning or end of the school day or during lunch (Anderson et al. 2001).
In a nationwide survey, 17% of students reported carrying a weapon (e.g., gun, knife, or club) on one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey (Grunbaum et al. 2004).
Among students nationwide, 33% reported being in a physical fight one or more times in the 12 months preceding the survey (Grunbaum et al. 2004).
Data from a study of 8th and 9th grade students showed 25% had been victims of nonsexual dating violence and 8% had been victims of sexual dating violence (Foshee et al. 1996).
Nationwide, 9% of students reported being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend in the 12 months prior to being surveyed (Grunbaum et al. 2004).
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Groups at Risk
Among 10 to 24 year olds, homicide is the leading cause of death for African-Americans, the second leading cause of death for Hispanics, and the third leading cause of death for American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Asian Pacific Islanders (Anderson and Smith 2003).
Of the 5,486 homicides reported in the 10 to 24 age group in 2001, 85% (4,659) were males and 15% (827) were females (CDC 2004).
A nationwide survey found male students (41%) more likely to have been involved in a physical fight than female students (25%) in the 12 months preceding the survey (Grunbaum et al. 2004).
A nationwide survey found female students (12%) more likely than male students (6%) to have been forced to have sexual intercourse (Grunbaum et al. 2004).
Risk Factors
The first step in preventing youth violence is to identify and understand the risk factors. A risk factor is anything that increases the likelihood of a person suffering harm. Risk factors are not necessarily causes. Research has identified the following risk factors for youth violence (DHHS 2001; Lipsey and Derzon 1998):
Individual
* Attention deficits/hyperactivity
* Antisocial beliefs and attitudes
* History of early aggressive behavior
* Involvement with drugs, alcohol, or tobacco
* Early involvement in general offenses
* Low IQ
* Poor behavioral control
* Social cognitive or information-processing deficits
Family
* Authoritarian childrearing attitudes
* Exposure to violence and family conflict
* Harsh, lax, or inconsistent disciplinary practices
* Lack of involvement in the child’s life
* Low emotional attachment to parents or caregivers
* Low parental education and income
* Parental substance abuse and criminality
* Poor family functioning
* Poor monitoring and supervision of children
Peer/School
* Association with delinquent peers
* Involvement in gangs
* Social rejection by peers
* Lack of involvement in conventional activities
* Poor academic performance
* Low commitment to school and school failure
Neighborhood/Community
* Diminished economic opportunity
* High concentrations of poor residents
* High levels of transiency
* High levels of family disruption
* Low community participation
* Socially disorganized neighborhoods
Protective Factors
Recent research focuses on how people recover from adverse situations, bringing a new awareness of the importance protective factors have in preventing youth violence. Protective factors are individual or environmental aspects that buffer young people from the effects of risk. Identifying and understanding protective factors are equally as important as researching risk factors.
To date, protective factors have not been studied as extensively or with the same scientific rigor as risk factors. Most existing research is preliminary; however, studies propose the following protective factors (DHHS 2001):
Individual Protective Factors
* Intolerant attitude toward deviance
* High IQ
* Positive social orientation
Peer/School Protective Factors
* Commitment to school
* Involvement in social activities
References:
Anderson MA, Kaufman J, Simon TR, Barrios L, Paulozzi L, Ryan G, et al. School-associated violent deaths in the United States, 1994-1999. Journal of the American Medical Association 2001;286:2695–702.
Anderson RN, Smith BL. Deaths: leading causes for 2001. National Vital Statistics Report 2003;52(9):1–86.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. (2004). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [Cited 2004 May 24].
Department of Health and Human Services (US). Youth violence: a report of the Surgeon General [online] 2001 Available from: URL: www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence. [Cited 2004 May 24].
Foshee VA, Linder GF, Bauman, KE, et al. The Safe Dates Project: theoretical basis, evaluation design, and selected baseline findings. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Supplement 1996;12(5):39-47.
Grunbaum JA, Kann L, Kinchen S, Ross JG, Lowry R, Harris WA, et al. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2003. MMWR 2004;53(SS-2):1–100. Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5302a1.htm
Lipsey MW, Derzon JH. Predictors of violent and serious delinquency in adolescence and early adulthood: a synthesis of longitudinal research. In: Loeber R, Farrington DP, editors. Serious and violent juvenile offenders: Risk factors and successful interventions. Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage Publications; 1998. p. 86-105.