Preview

The Effects of Teenage Violence on the African American Community

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1340 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Effects of Teenage Violence on the African American Community
The Effects of Teenage Violence on the African American Community
Herman McBride
Axia College of University of Phoenix
With the increasing amount of stress placed on the African American community, teenage violence has become an issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. Before anything can be done about it however; one must begin with what causes it. Although we can point the finger to a number of things, life at home and school as well as opportunities and economic conditions are considered by many to be the main causes. These have led to many negative issues in the African American community. Teen violence not only contributed to the high homicide rates of African American youths ages 10-24 but also to the decline of property value in these areas. To combat these issues, Americans need to come together and show the youth there are people that care and want to be positive role models and provide them other ways to express themselves other than acting out in violent ways. The cause of teenage violence can be attributed to many things. One of the main factors in teenage violence is what the teen has been subjected to at home and at school. Another factor is frustration due to the lack of positive opportunities and role models combined with poor economic and learning conditions. According to “Family First Aid” (2004), exposure to violence and family conflict, harsh discipline practices, lack of involvement in the child’s life, and no discipline are all issues in the home that can contribute to a teen participating in violent activities. In their teenage years, children are very impressionable and should be given proper direction to ensure they go in the right direction. Witnessing constant violence in the home could cause the teen to think these things are natural and carry them out outside of the house. The beliefs that they don’t belong and no one cares for them at home, which is brought out by little or extreme discipline and lack of involvement in



References: Barker, C. (2009). Violence begetting violence. New York Amsterdam News, 3-36. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Center for Disease Control (nd). Youth Violence: National Statistics. Retrieved December 9, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/youthviolence/stats_at-a_glance/hr_race-sex_05.html Livingston, J., & Nahimana, C. (2006). Problem Child or Problem Context: An Ecological Approach to Young Black Males. Reclaiming Children & Youth, 14(4), 209-214. Retrieved from Professional Development Collection database. Lykken, D. (2000). The causes and costs of crime and a controversial cure. Journal Of Personality, 68(3), 559-605. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database. Ngwe, J., Flay, B., & Segawa, E. (2004). Violence Prevention Among African American Adolescent Males. American Journal of Health Behavior, Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Seidel, J Facts about Teen Violence. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from http://www.eHow.com Teplin, L., McClelland, G., Abram, K., & Mileusnic, D. (2005). Early Violent Death Among Delinquent Youth: A Prospective Longitudinal Study. Pediatrics, 115(6), 1586-1593. doi:10.1542/peds.2004-1459.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Many people often wonder, “ Does early exposure to violence influence frustration and aggression in adolescence and adulthood?” or they might ask, “ What are the effects of early exposure to violence?” There are many situations in childhood that might cause or influence the later life of a child. Whether it is violent video games, rough sibling playing or parents who fight in front of their children; there must be some reason, some cause to later life aggression and violence.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    References: Violence Prevention/Education. (2011, May 31). Retrieved June 12, 2011, from Funding Alert; REV. Volume 6 No. 11: http://www.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/FundingAlert-V6N11.pdf…

    • 1588 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Violence among youth and young adults has always been a prevalent issue. It is famously associated with homicide—one of the leading causes of death for young adults in America. Violence is a hotly discussed topic in our society, and it is found in most of our media today. Phil Hutcheon’s Desperation Passes shines a spotlight upon violent behaviors and the consequences that violence has on young Americans for an excellent reason—violence among youth is tragic and detestable. It is a disgusting reality that plagues our society today. Hutcheon explores violence among youth through the death of CSU quarterback Marcus Foster.…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. (2010). Youth Courts. Retrieved from http://www.promoteprevent.org/publications/prevention-briefs/youth-courts…

    • 635 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    However, the study goes on to ask some difficult questions: How many kids are really committing crimes? How many juveniles are committing murder and whom do they murder? In 1997, juvenile homicides were the lowest in the decade, but still higher than those during the 80s. According to this study, the majority of these homicide victims are male and between 1980 and 1997, 93% of the juvenile homicide offenders were male. More than 56% were African-American, and 88% of juvenile homicide offenders were age 15 and older (54). Even with the numbers of juvenile offenders increasing, it must be stated again that juvenile crime is not something…

    • 4271 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thesis Statement Outline

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Television is no longer censored the way it once was; killing, stabbings and guns are being displayed on these media devices. Allowing the youth access to these horrible acts. Growing up children are little sponges that absorb everything; they hear and see. Mininking what they have heard and seen when they get older. Cutting back on the amount of hours spent on media devices, will cut youth violence.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Rapper Tupac Shakur once said “It’s a struggle for every young Black man. You know how it is, only God can judge us.” Throughout the course of the semester there have been numerous discussions of topics involving the black community in today’s society. Racism towards African-Americans and how they are not treated equally or with respect from society. They are judged just by the way they carry themselves; pants sagging, tank top, and tattoos that are visible are classified as “thug” or “uneducated”. So I write this book in hopes that others will read and know my understandings of the current events affecting the black community. I have grown and experience throughout the course of time to become more aware, enlightened, and informed.…

    • 1530 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Day-Vines, N. L., & Day-Hairston, B. O. 2005. “Culturally Congruent Strategies for Addressing the Behavioral Needs of Urban, African American Male Adolescents”. Professional School Counseling, 8(3): 236-243.…

    • 1775 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    The racial differences that begin with juvenile involvement become greater within communities, they more poverty stricken the more law enforcement. This could also be due to the more urban the community is the more condensed it is with people. Most researchers find that minorities especially blacks are disproportionally represented at most stages of the juvenile justice system beginning with the initial contact with law officials (Piquero, 2008). Minority juveniles are more likely to come into contact with law officials than their white peers. Minority youths are also predicted to have higher levels of aggression than whites youths. Tests have been conducted showing that minority youths have more community stresses causing a higher survival rate (Vazsonyi, 2010). Many minority youths are faced with being thrown away by parents. Which causes them to self support themselves at early stages of life, this may increase their risk of coming into contact with law officials more frequently. Another leading factor to higher aggression levels in many minority youths could be caused by self dependency. The disproportionate minority contact is the leading source to a mass incarceration of minority…

    • 1526 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unfortunately for African Americans and other minorities the exposure and effects of violence are even more prevalent. In the article, “Effects of Crime and Violence in Neighborhoods and Schools on the School behavior and Performance of Adolescents”, the authors found that males, African Americans, high school students, school lunch recipients, and urban students reported higher exposure to environmental danger. Unfortunately, it is also these same communities which often lack the required resources needed for help them to successfully cope with these situations, resulting in underlying issues which may persist well into adulthood. According to the journal article, “African-American Youth and Exposure to Community Violence: Supporting Change from the Inside”, there are a series of high level stressors particular to African Americans, they include: exposure to violence, a lack of coping strategies and adult support for handling…

    • 1736 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Among these problem areas, the issue of poverty is considered to be the most problematic issue within the African American community and is directly responsible for most problem areas within the African American population…

    • 2223 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Youth Violence In America

    • 2086 Words
    • 9 Pages

    As long as governments exist, there will always be crime for them to combat. A portion of this crime is, and will continue to be, organized crime. The United States is constantly working to protect its citizens from transnational criminal alliances, but the streets of this nation are still being crippled by domestic organizations. The 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment declares, “Gangs are expanding, evolving, and posing an increasing threat to U.S. communities nationwide.” One of the most frightening and overwhelming atrocities in this country is the fact that a great deal of the gang-related violence suffered is being delivered by the nation’s…

    • 2086 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    • In 2010, 4,828 young people ages 10 to 24 were victims of homicide—an average of 13 each day.(cdc.gov/gun violence prevention).Homicide rates in 2010 among non-Hispanic, African American males 10-24 years of age (51.5 per 100,000) exceeded those of Hispanic males (13.5 per 100,000) and non-Hispanic, White males in the same age group (2.9 per 100,000).1 (cdc.gov/gun violence prevention).In 2011, 707,212 young people ages 10 to 24 were treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained from physical assaults.1 • In 2011, of a nationally-representative sample of students in grades 9-12, 3.9% reported being in a physical fight one or more times in the previous 12 months that resulted in injuries that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse.(cdc.gov/gun violence prevention).African-American and Hispanic males attending large inner-city schools that serve very poor neighborhoods faced – and still face – the greatest risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of a violent act at school.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    the code of the streets

    • 6572 Words
    • 27 Pages

    Of all the problems besetting the poor inner-city black community, none is more pressing than that of interpersonal violence and aggression. It wreaks havoc daily with the lives of community residents and increasingly spills over into downtown and residential middle-class areas. Muggings, burglaries, carjackings, and drug-related shootings, all of which may leave their victims or innocent bystanders dead, are now common enough to concern all urban and many suburban residents. The inclination to violence springs from the circumstances of life among the ghetto poor--the lack of jobs that pay a living wage, the stigma of race, the fallout from rampant drug use and drug trafficking, and the resulting alienation and lack of hope for the future.…

    • 6572 Words
    • 27 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Youth violence is a complex problem, influenced by psychological, economic, and social factors (Eron and Slaby, 1–22). The problem is substantially worsened because of the lethality and accessibility of firearms. Guns cause deaths and severe injuries more frequently than knives, clubs, or fists, and with guns, even violent impulses can have lethal outcomes. Guns also are easily available to young people, even though federal law, with a few exceptions, prohibits those under 21 from purchasing handguns and those under 18 from purchasing rifles and shotguns or possessing handguns. Exceptional lethality, combined with easy access, accounts at least in part for the fact that firearm-related injuries remain the second leading cause of death among children and youth ages 10 to 19. Only motor vehicle accidents claim more young lives. ("National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System")…

    • 2338 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics