Where Does Teenage Violence Come From?

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Child and teenage crime, street attacks on people among teenagers - this is one of the most talked about news this summer in Nizhny Novgorod. In this article, I want to express my view on this issue as a psychologist and teacher. Upon hearing this news, the first thing I felt was fear.

Undoubtedly, I associate gangster groups with the 90s, and certainly now it is difficult for me to imagine teenagers who can easily walk around and do whatever they want. But this is happening today, and not on the outskirts, but in one of the central districts of the city.

Why is this happening at all? Let's take a look at the reasons. The first thing that comes to mind is that perhaps these teenagers are from socially disadvantaged families, where they are raised not by their parents, but by the street. And in every district there is a gang of children who are terrifying and fearful. Probably everyone has a question, but where are the police, street patrols? And of course this needs to be addressed in order to ensure the safety of residents.

Second, in adolescence, children tend to form various groups, and what direction this group will be depends on the social environment, family and all those around the children. This is a problem that also needs to be dealt with, children need to be sure to be busy, especially during the summer holidays!

We have a well-developed network of hobby groups and clubs in our city, but they are not available to all families for financial reasons, and often communicating with children, I ask, “where do you go besides school?” no money . Therefore, social services should pay attention to such children at risk.

And even you and I, adults, can pay attention to such children, because a teenager is looking for authorities and it is very likely, due to the still low level of criticism, they can choose a local bully for the authority, if nothing is done in time.

The third is that the rampant crime is just one of the indicators that the social system for ensuring the employment of children during the summer holidays is developed at a low level.

I remember that projects of summer courtyard practice are being organized, and of course they should be everywhere. Many will tell me that these are children now, they are playing aggressive games and then they themselves go to kill everyone in a row, but in reality … I disagree here, because games have nothing to do with it, I know a lot of kind, adequate guys, and in games on the contrary, they throw out the accumulated aggression. We must not forget that even in our time not everyone has a computer at home and a good phone, therefore teenage aggressiveness, and at this age there is more than enough energy, finds a way out in such criminal forms as beating people and hooliganism.

From my experience of working with teenagers, I want to say that if the children are shown how to spend their free time differently, they will do it and even with pleasure! I was surprised to see how they can forget about their phone and computer and just play the ball with the guys, play different games in a circle, learn something new from each other.

But it is important that the guys have a mentor who would help organize all this, because if we talk about groups, then there are not all such cruel, but usually several leaders, and the rest are silent witnesses who assent to the leader and do as he will say. And this leader is most likely cruel, because his parents also beat him, but he cannot express his anger at them and takes it out on random passers-by.

This problem is difficult to solve in one day, using only the "whip" method, intimidating adolescents and threatening them with imprisonment. It is important to work with such guys in a comprehensive manner, since at this age there is still a chance for correction and rehabilitation.

In any case, if you have children, young or already teenagers, the best thing you can do for them is to love, no matter how trite it may sound. Loving means caring, accepting him for who he is, praising him, helping him if he needs it, guiding him and supporting him in any endeavors. Then no external circumstances will be so important, because the child will have a support inside, a core, and even if he is suddenly offered to do an unworthy deed, he will be able to say no, defend himself and make a choice.