Violence amongst children is an unfortunate issue with devastating consequences.
Youll learn about the prevalence, impact, and various predictors of youth violence.
Plus, Ill cover proven ways to prevent violence among children.
What Exactly Is Youth Violence?
However, the vast majority of this articles statistics apply solely to children and adolescents under 18 years old.
The focus is on actions that use physical force to harm, damage, or kill someone.
Its also important to distinguish between childhood violence and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
This includes witnessing violence at home or in their community and dealing with family issues like parental substance abuse.
These experiences can affect cognitive functioning, resulting in poor academic performance and negative thinking.
Victims may experience a decrease in their motivation and find it difficult to form relationships with their peers.
Billions are spent as a result of treating and rehabilitating children after incidents of sexual violence.
There are several reasons why this happens.
A study from the University of Washington and Indiana University confirmed this.
While there have been certain positive developments, youth-on-youth violence is still a large-scale issue.
The reasons behind the graphs trendline remain largely unknown.
The greater economic prosperity of the 90s may also have led to a reduction in crime more generally.
These behaviors can often be a precursor to violence.
The pandemic led schools to online learning, which meant that kids couldnt see their peers.
The social isolation had consequences that manifested in aggressive behavior.
Those surveyed reported being tripped, shoved, pushed, and spat on.
Bullying has long-term impacts on young peoples mental, physical, and emotional health.
Boys account for 83% of all gun deaths among children and teens.
The most stark comparison can be drawn along race lines.
Nearly half of these victims were under the age of one.
Two-thirds of victims were under the age of three.
At least one parent was involved in 82% of child fatalities resulting from child abuse in 2022.
The remaining percentage includes caregivers, childcare providers, group home staff, and foster parents.
Many children and teens experience violence that never ends up on the record.
In this section, well take a closer look at the causes of youth violence around the world.
This results in the deaths of at least 850 children on the continent annually.
Sadly, almost a third of these are reported as intentional.
The proportion of unintentional injury deaths among children varies widely across the EU.
Specifically, the proportion of violence against the person offenses has increased by 12.4%.
This category includes serious crimes like homicide, rape, and aggravated assault.
Additionally, sexual offenses have seen a rise of 1.4 percentage points.
In 2023, over 30,000 Germans under the age of 18 were suspected of this crime.
This section sheds light on the impact and consequences of this key in of violence on children.
This figure has doubled since the mid-1990s.
Physical injuries, social isolation, and economic hardship further contribute to these mental health struggles.
Among those violations against children, 317 were confirmed in Sudan in 2020.
Children are targeted because they can easily be manipulated or forced into joining armed groups.
They also dont require as much food as adult soldiers.
In reality, however, most members can quit without any major issues.
The most common reason young people leave gangs is because of their experiences with violence.
It results from many interacting elements, including family dynamics, school climate, and community environment.
This difference between the genders may exist because girls tend to internalize stress and trauma differently than boys.
This could lead to higher rates of violent behavior as a means of coping with these experiences.
More than half have mental health problems such as depression or suicidal thoughts.
Many also show a fascination with violence, often reflected in their media consumption and personal writings.
The longer they stayed in the program, the less likely they were to be involved in violent crime.
These programs involved both the children and their parents, with the goal of reducing violent behavior.
And it looks like the benefits of these programs lasted long after they ended.
Implementing such programs can really make a dent in the overall level of violence.
These programs also provide a safe space for children to express themselves and learn better coping skills.
Educational Programs and Training
G.R.E.A.T.
This program has shown promising results with a 24% reduction in youth gang membership rates among students.
Youths who participated showed positive changes in several areas.
They developed more positive attitudes toward the police and less positive attitudes about gangs.
They improved in using refusal skills, resisting peer pressure, and associated with delinquent peers less often.
These findings suggest that G.R.E.A.T.
Local Programs and Strategies
The WHOs INSPIRE strategies are making a real difference in reducing violence against children.
Analysis shows that well-designed local INSPIRE programs can reduce violence by as much as 20-50%.
When they do, they create safer, more nurturing environments where young people can truly thrive.
The Bottom Line
Violence among children is a complex, multi-layered issue.
Children can be victims or perpetrators of violence.
Often, theyre both at the same time.
Regardless of their role, violence can impact children long into adulthood, both physically and mentally.
While this is worrying, parents, teachers, and caregivers arent helpless in the fight against youth violence.
