why has violence become so acceptable to young people?

Question

what do you think is responsible and what can be done to turn it round. that poor baby in liverpool, god help his parents.i have an 11 year old boy and i would be destroyed if anyone ever hurt him. :-(

Answer 1

Bad parenting i reckon.

Answer 2

I was discussing this exact same thing with my Husband the other night. Although I am (only!) 32, I cannot see why, in two or three generations, the acceptance of violence has become so normal. When I was a teenager, there were few fights and certainly none of the excessive violence that seems to be the norm these days.

I live in a very poor inner city area, and the aggressiveness and violence I witness on a weekly basis really upsets me. I have a nine year old and a six year old, and I have brought them up to know that violence never solves anything. I have also limited the amount of agressive and violent media that they have access to, I'm not saying violent games and films cause all the problems, but I don't think it helps to see some of the horrific things that are "normal" in film and games now. I know a seven year old at my son's school who has sat and watched all of the Saw films, and an 8 year old who regularly plays games like Grand Theft Auto etc. Say what you like about violence in the media being OK, but surely allowing small children to absorb these messages cannot be good.

I don't know what the answer is, or the reasons behind the upsurge in violence amongst the young, but I think that kids seeing media that is quite clearly aimed at adults is not helping the issue at all. I will continue to monitor the "popular culture" that my kids are exposed to for a long time, until I am sure that they have the capacity to cope with excessive violence and anger on screen.

That's my opinion, anyway.

My heart goes out to that poor child, and his family.

Edit: Another point that has just occured to me: I am surrounded by families of the "you can't tell me how to raise my kids" opinion. Personally, I think that if you cannot raise your children to have other mechanisms in place to cope with problems, other than violence, then Yes, we CAN tell you how to raise your children. How can it be acceptable to allow small children access to violent games, films etc? If kids tried to buy these kinds of media, they wouldn't be able to, right? (And I have worked in a large Megastore, and we were vigorous about checking ID and stuff, because of the fines we ourselves would have received) Parents should not allow kids access to "adult" material, simple as that.

Answer 3

I don't think it's anything ot do with discipline as my parents never used corporal punishment against me. Some people embellish on the past too, teenagers certainly didn't arrive home prompt at 9.00pm when I was a teenager. And although videogames are effectively kill simulators, I really think the outstanding majority can distinguish between real life and videogames.

To be honest adolescent men just don't have proper role models. Gone are the days were a teenage boy would aspire to be like his dad. Their favourite rappers (this isn't an attack on rap music in general) live a playboy lifestyle and, if you believe what they say, made it there by killing a lot people. They glorify violence and there's nothing which leads them to believe it's unglorious.

Answer 4

I think personally a lot of it has to do with law and rules that have been put in place over the more recent years. Children are growing up with no respect for anyone and I think a lot of this has to do with rules such as banning parents (or anyone) from disciplining children. Years ago, if kids were in the streets and commited a "petty" crime, then a police office whalloped them one and took them home to their parents, who then also whalloped them one! This I believe taught kids to understand what they had done was wrong. Nowadays for even more serious crimes, youths (and adults) just get a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again! I also believe that watching so much telvision and computer games could contribute to this. I dont believe they directly cause crime, but I do believe the programmes / films on TV nowadays, give kids far more information on guns / knives / murders etc.

I have 3 stepchildren aged 19, 10 and 9 and I am extremely over protective of them. I am constantly worried about what may happen when they are out with their friends. I only have some sense of contentment in knowing that they have been brought up well and to understand what respect is. Its a sad sad world we live in and we can only do so much to protect our little ones.

Answer 5

Many times it has been suggested that the media are to blame. Many times it has been 'proved' that watching violent films etc does influence children's behaviour. Now, it is all the time; shootings, stabbings, muggings, fights, explosions, murders etc. Have you seen the rubbish that they produce in America that they call entertainment? It is the media. Plain and simple. It is the media. People's lives would be improved beyond measure, if we demanded that we stop being provided with nothing more than crime as entertainment.

Answer 6

I think because they do not have to tools to settle conflicts reasonably - when you watch Jeremy Kyle or Jerry Springer arguements are settled by screaming, shouting and ultimately violence.

If young people knew how to settle an argument without resorting to violence then I'm sure they would, but if they haven't been shown or set the right example then what else can they do?

Maybe it something that schools should look at introducing, as i think that it would help a lot of angry, frustrated young men

Answer 7

The violent movies and video games are possibly the largest reason. Kids have unlimited access to them and there's nothing/very little parents can do about this. They don't try to learn from their progenitors anymore, but from a TV screen. They mimic their idols' behaviour (think wrestling) and they're incapable of measuring the consequences.
Anyone can buy a gun nowadays, if they know where to look. Teenagers included. Makes you wonder what our society has become and how poorly unprepared the new generations are to face it.

Answer 8

Its about educating young people, how can you expect young people to live lives on the straight and narrow when they have been bought up with the media glorifying guns and drugs, when the idols of their generation sing about getting shot and sleeping with lots of women, when they aren't encouraged to take up sports and hobbies, when adults behave like bufoons and set bad examples to them, when society looks down on them and when the good ones do make something of themselves and get good gcse results they are told the only reason they got them was because the exams they sat were substantially 'easier'. Society isn't in favour of young people. The poor little boy should still be alive, he deserves a life and his family are now left devestated. I think before young people get blamed for everything though, society should look at the reasons why young people feel inadequate enough to go out and lend themselves to crime, drugs and a life in the gutter. Young people are worth more than this and they need to be educated properly and be reminded what direction in life they should take.

Answer 9

it is acceptable because they see it from such an early age and it desensitizes them. as small children they see lots of violence in cartoons which is meant as a bit of fun but the kids see the characters walk away without any or little consequence. kids are fighting in computer games in their rooms that are meant for adults, these games shouldn't be available to anyone never mind minors ! some of them are sick. children just do not understand the consequences of their actions, mostly its down to bad parenting.

Answer 10

The decline of the family and a lack of good parenting are the major causes. What can be done? We must work to improve the family unit and do a better job of parenting our children.

Answer 11

lets see a lot of the youth being miss educated not having god in school making up disorders just because a kid is a certain way people don't want them to be saying they have add and stuff like that just because they want to be taught in school differently and the old way we use is out dated with all the new tech we have and children not getting spanked enough and treating them like they are fragile and stuff being taught sex is OK when your young and un-married and not taught its something special you save for your husband or wife instead taught its just something you do with some one you sort of like sure you might of got over disciplined but this new gen needs that they think they are more grown then then they are and parents treating them that way and video games and movies have nothing to do with it thats a lie used by the media and un educated people and if your a parent and your kid is to young for subjects in a video game you should make the call and be a more responseable parent and not just bad mouthing them and wanting them gone in fact they dont tell you that a video game helps vent that anger its also parents letting children do what they want when they need the belt and you should know your childs friends and where they are and what they do and monitor online activites and do not be a friend to teach your child its better they get it from you then that 40yold in a chat room lurring them away