Warning Signs of Potential Youth Violence

Today's youth are under more pressure than ever before, as are their families. With more and more single parent homes, more economic pressure for parents to work longer hours and few affordable care alternatives, youth are often left alone. When you add the availability of drugs, the power of gangs and the information available on the Internet, be it real or misinformation, raising a child to legal age without incident seems almost a miracle. Getting them through school is just as tentative.

Young people, especially teenagers, are sometimes overwhelmed by the physical and emotional changes in their lives. They are in a natural mode of wanting to become independent, but are often forced to become too independent, too soon. This confusing and unsettling time can lead to violent outbursts that may be isolated incidences or the beginning of a path toward more violent behavior. Violence can be a result of many factors and be presented by anyone of any age. However, youth violence is a serious concern, especially at school.

How do you know if violence is on the horizon for a student-or your child? You don't, because there are too many variables and even with all the research in criminology, there is no definitive answer. However, there may be potential warning signs. The United States Department of Education has published a number of guides to help in understanding school violence, prevention programs and how to identify potential warning signs of violent youth. (See the URL in references section for more information.) Here are some potential warning signs that should trigger you to pay attention. It is important to remember that no single thing in the warning signs spells violent act, yet a significant combination of these should send up a red flag.

· Withdrawal from school either partially (skipping days) or totally.
· Feelings of isolation and being alone, not having any friends.
· Intense feelings of rejection by peers and/or family.
· Being a victim of violence or abuse.
· Feelings of being picked on, bullied, teased, singled out for ridicule or humiliation.
· Little interest in school and poor school performance.
· Expressions of violence in drawing or writing.
· Being "set off" by small things.
· Bullying and aggression.
· Discipline problems over a long period or in recurring cycles.
· Intolerance of differences.
· Drug and alcohol use.
· Depression. (Can present differently in teenagers than adults. See URL in reference.)
· Gang affiliation.
· Access to weapons.
· Threats of violence.

The FBI has developed a program to forecast future criminal behavior. Using this program they have developed and provided a list of behavior traits to teachers and school officials to help them identify students that might be at risk. If you are a parent, teacher or student and want to explore youth violence further, take advantage of some of the information to be found at the URLs listed in the reference section.