Violent crimes committed by young people have heightened concern about youth violence in this country. Although the overall number of arrests for serious violent offenses has declined, rates of youth violence remain high. Youth are not only more likely to be perpetrators of violence, but also more prone to be victims of violence. For the purpose of this essay, violence will be defined as any conscious act intended to cause injury to another, either physically or psychologically.
Peer influences remain a major predictor of youth violence. Youth who have low-quality social connections with peers are at an increased risk of participating in violent behaviors, as are youth who associate with delinquent or antisocial peers. Involvement with deviant peers is one of the most powerful influences in the onset of delinquent, violent behavior. Participation in violent activities may be a tool for gaining group membership, obtaining the respect and attention of peers, or as a way to establish independence from the adult world.
As youth develop, different risk factors for violence assume importance. The influence of the family begins to lessen as peer-related risk factors increase. In fact, communities and peers may be more influential than family in determining youth attitudes and behaviors toward violence. Further, the context of communities, neighborhoods, and schools all make important contributions to youth violence.
Community-Related Influences
The strength of the association between community violence and delinquency is influenced by relationships with peers. Within a community or neighborhood, there is a push to identify with a particular group. Affiliation with a group of peers who encourage negative behaviors is a major influence on violence in the community.
Peer-Group Affiliation
The peer group plays a major role in the development of its members’ self-identities. Youth form their attitudes, opinions, priorities, and goals in conjunction with their peers. Risky behaviors such as violence and delinquency also develop in the context of peer groups and are maintained through reinforcement from peers.
Children who develop friendships with antisocial peers in elementary school are at higher risk for violent behavior. Negative peer influences affect behavior most powerfully when bonds to prosocial individuals are weak. Youth who are rejected by typical peers may find acceptance only in delinquent or antisocial peer groups. Even more, youth who lack academic and social skills are likely to join deviant groups that teach and reward antisocial behaviors.
Gangs
Gangs have been identified as a group of individuals who promote violent acts by their peers. Gangs present a growing challenge to safety and violence prevention. Once a problem only in the largest inner cities, youth gangs have branched out to smaller cities and suburban communities across the country.
Researchers examining the causes of why youth join gangs have found that the risk factors for gang membership are similar to the risk factors for those for participating in violence. Youth who are more vulnerable to the lure of gangs may feel disenfranchised or threatened, have poor school connection, have troubled family relationships, have siblings or friends who are in gangs, or be looking for fun and excitement. These youth typically join gangs to feel accepted, attain status, and increase their self-esteem. Once a member of a gang, youth are more likely to be involved in criminal activities; have academic difficulties; drop out of school; be suspended, expelled, or arrested; and become victims of violence.
Membership in a gang increases the risk of violent behavior above and beyond the risk of having delinquent or antisocial peers. Unlike individual troubled students and sporadic fights, gangs are organized, predatory, and usually directed by older youth or adults outside of school. Most seek to expand their power and wealth through illegal activities, intimidation, and recruitment. Frequently, more than one gang is involved, operating either within or between schools and in the community.
It is difficult to separate community problems from the school, as gang activity is nothing short of community activity that spills onto the campus. Certain factors can facilitate a gang presence in a community or school, including an impersonal, alienating environment; a prevalence of bullying; a lack of trust between adults and students; an absence of supervision by parents and adults in the community; and no coordination between local law enforcement and community service organizations.
School-Related Influences
Research on youth violence in schools reflects that a culture of violence has arisen in some schools. Schools located in high crime, disorganized neighborhoods report higher rates of youth violence than schools in lower crime neighborhoods. Previous studies on the influence of school peer groups on youth violence reveal that schools typically have dominant peer groups with value systems that influence decisions about student participation in violence. Regardless of students’ personal views about violence, the risk of students becoming involved in violent acts varies depending on the dominant peer culture in the school.
Schools with low levels of violent behavior among students are typically characterized by a positive, respectful school climate in which inclusiveness and a sense of community are evident. An effective school wide discipline plan and staffing ratios that allow for effective student supervision can actively prevent and decrease violence among students. Active teaching of prosocial skills and activities focusing on relationship building also support the development of a peaceful, empathic student culture.
Bullying
A particular common and damaging form of peer violence among students is bullying. Bullying is broadly defined as negative acts or hurtful behaviors committed against an individual or group repeatedly over time. Bullying may consist of overt acts that are verbal (e.g., teasing, name calling, harassment) or physical (e.g., hitting, kicking, pushing). However, bullying may also involve more covert behaviors such as gossip, spreading rumors, and exclusion. Implicit in any definition of bullying is an imbalance of power between the bully and victim.
Peers also play a significant role in the development and maintenance of bullying behavior. Acts of bullying are fueled by the observations, attention, and approval of peer bystanders. Additionally, peer behaviors are often learned through modeling and reinforcement. Therefore, bullying interventions should target peers as well as victims and perpetrators of bullying.
The topic of bullying deserves increased attention by educators, parents, and children concerned with violence prevention. Historically, the frequency of bullying and the psychological harm that it causes have been significantly underestimated. Research supports that victims of bullying experience a host of negative outcomes including increased physical illness and psychological problems such as depressive symptoms and decreased self-esteem. Other studies have suggested that participating in bullying behavior may be associated with future involvement with delinquency and violence.
Schools must adopt comprehensive programs to prevent bullying and violence in schools. These programs can reduce violent acts, improve behaviors, change attitudes, encourage empathy, and increase teacher interventions in bullying behaviors. Further, many schools have implemented peer mediation and student conflict-resolution programs. Most peer violence prevention programs focus on building protective factors and developing student skills in cooperation, perspective taking, problem solving, and empathy. These programs have many positive effects in schools, including the promotion of a positive school climate, a reduction in discipline problems, and decreased levels of school violence.
Concluding Remarks
Peers have a powerful influence on youth violence. As youth grow older, different risk factors for violence assume significance in their lives. Poor social connections to typical peers, delinquent friends, and participation in a gang are all considered significant risk factors for participation in youth violence. The culture of communities and schools also makes important contributions to youth participation in violence. Programs focusing on the development of prosocial relations, school and community violence prevention, and peer mediation–conflict mediation all help to reduce peer influences on youth violence.
Bibliography:
- Coloroso, B. (2003). The bully, the bullied, and the bystander from pre-school to high school: How parents and teachers can help break the cycle of violence. New York: Harper Resource.
- Department of Health and Human Services. (2001, November/December). Youth violence: A report by the surgeon general. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20669522
- Gladwell, M. (2002). The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. New York: Little, Brown.
- Pesce, R. C., & Wilczynski, J. D. (2005). Gang prevention. Principal Leadership, 6, 11–15.
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