Many children and adolescents occasionally have physical confrontations with others, but most children and adolescents do not continue violent behavior or engage in violent crime. However, children who exhibit violent behavior before puberty may be at higher risk of committing crimes.
Many risk factors for youth violence are linked to experiencing prolonged or repeated stress. This stress can negatively change the brain development. Known risk factors for violent behavior include the following:
Exposure to violence or history of violent victimization
Developmental or behavioral issues
Alcohol and drug misuse by caregivers of the child or adolescent
Harsh, lax, or inconsistent disciplinary practices or neglect by parents or caregivers
Association with delinquent peers or gang involvement
Living in a community with diminished economic opportunities, high levels of family disruption, or social disorganization
Access to firearms
There seems to be a relationship between violence and access to firearms, exposure to violence through media (such as social media and news platforms), and exposure to child abuse and domestic violence.
Violent video games may desensitize children to violence. Although experts do not think they actually cause children to become violent, children exposed to them are more used to violence being part of life.
(See also Overview of Behavioral Problems in Children.)
Gang involvement
Participation in youth gangs has been linked with violent behavior, often involving firearms.
Gang members are typically ages 13 to 24. Gangs usually adopt a name and identifying symbols, such as a particular style of clothing, the use of certain hand signs, tattoos, or graffiti. Some gangs require prospective members to perform random acts of violence before membership is granted.
Increasing youth gang violence has been blamed at least in part on gang involvement in drug distribution and drug use, particularly methamphetamines and heroin.
Bullying
Bullying is intentional infliction of psychologic or physical damage on less powerful children. Up to one third of children may be involved in bullying as bullies, victims, or both.
Social stresses, such as low family income and low parent education levels, are risk factors for bullying.
Bullying can take several forms, including
Repeated teasing
Threats or intimidation
Harassment
Violent assaults
Cyberbullying (use of e-mail, texting, social media, and other digital communication tools to threaten and/or spread hurtful information)
"Sexting," which is the act of sharing sexually charged messages or photographs (usually via cell phone), can be a form of cyberbullying if the messages or photographs are purposefully shared with other people to embarrass or harm the child who originated or appeared in the message or photograph.
Bullies act to inflate their sense of self-worth. They often report that bullying creates feelings of power and control.
Victims often tell no one about being bullied because they are ashamed, because they feel that nothing will be done, or because they fear the bully will retaliate. Children who are bullied may reach a breaking point, at which time they strike back with potentially dangerous or catastrophic results.
Both bullies and their victims are at risk of poor outcomes. Victims are at risk of physical injury, poor self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and school absence. Many victims of bullying become bullies themselves. Bullies are more likely to be imprisoned in later life. Bullies are less likely to remain in school, be employed, or have stable relationships as adults.
Prevention of Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents
Violence prevention should begin in early childhood. Strategies include the following:
Not using violence to discipline young children
Limiting access to weapons and exposure to violence through media and video games
Creating and maintaining a safe school environment
Encouraging victims to report problems to their parents and school authorities
Teaching older children and adolescents strategies for avoiding high-risk situations (including places or settings where others have weapons or are using alcohol or drugs) and for reacting to or defusing tense situations
