Understanding Violent Behavior in Kids and Adolescents

There is a great concern about the incidence of violent behavior among kids and adolescents. This complex and troubling issue needs to be carefully understood by moms & dads, teachers, and other adults.

Kids as young as preschoolers can show violent behavior. Moms & dads and other adults who witness the behavior may be concerned; however, they often hope that the young child will "grow out of it." Violent behavior in a youngster at any age always needs to be taken seriously. It should not be quickly dismissed as "just a phase they're going through!"

Range of Violent Behavior—

Violent behavior in kids and adolescents can include a wide range of behaviors: explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression, fighting, threats or attempts to hurt others (including homicidal thoughts), use of weapons, cruelty toward animals, fire setting, intentional destruction of property and vandalism.

Factors Which Increase Risk of Violent Behavior—

Numerous research studies have concluded that a complex interaction or combination of factors leads to an increased risk of violent behavior in kids and adolescents. These factors include:

• Being the victim of physical abuse and/or sexual abuse
• Brain damage from head injury
• Combination of stressful family socioeconomic factors (poverty, severe deprivation, marital breakup, single parenting, unemployment, loss of support from extended family)
• Exposure to violence in media (TV, movies, etc.)
• Exposure to violence in the home and/or community
• Genetic (family heredity) factors
• Presence of firearms in home
• Previous aggressive or violent behavior
• Use of drugs and/or alcohol

What are the "warning signs" for violent behavior in kids?

Kids who have several risk factors and show the following behaviors should be carefully evaluated:

• Becoming easily frustrated
• Extreme impulsiveness
• Extreme irritability
• Frequent loss of temper or blow-ups
• Intense anger

Moms & dads and teachers should be careful not to minimize these behaviors in kids.

What can be done if a youngster shows violent behavior?

Whenever a parent or other adult is concerned, they should immediately arrange for a comprehensive evaluation by a qualified mental health professional. Early treatment by a professional can often help. The goals of treatment typically focus on helping the youngster to:

• accept consequences
• be responsible for his/her actions
• express anger and frustrations in appropriate ways
• learn how to control his/her anger

In addition, family conflicts, school problems, and community issues must be addressed.

Can anything prevent violent behavior in kids?

Research studies have shown that much violent behavior can be decreased or even prevented if the above risk factors are significantly reduced or eliminated. Most importantly, efforts should be directed at dramatically decreasing the exposure of kids and adolescents to violence in the home, community, and through the media. Clearly, violence leads to violence.

In addition, the following strategies can lessen or prevent violent behavior:

• Early intervention programs for violent youngsters
• Monitoring youngster's viewing of violence on TV/videos/movies
• Prevention of child abuse (use of programs such as parent training, family support programs, etc.)
• Sex education and parenting programs for adolescents

Kids and TV Violence—

American kids watch an average of three to four hours of television daily. Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is violent. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on kids and young people have found that kids may:

• become "immune" or numb to the horror of violence
• gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems
• identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers
• imitate the violence they observe on television

Extensive viewing of television violence by kids causes greater aggressiveness. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Kids who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. Kids with emotional, behavioral, learning or impulse control problems may be more easily influenced by TV violence. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the youngster's behavior or may surface years later. Young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence.

While TV violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent behavior, it is clearly a significant factor. Moms & dads can protect kids from excessive TV violence in the following ways:

• disapprove of the violent episodes in front of the kids, stressing the belief that such behavior is not the best way to resolve a problem
• pay attention to the programs their kids are watching and watch some with them
• point out that although the actor has not actually been hurt or killed, such violence in real life results in pain or death
• refuse to let the kids see shows known to be violent, and change the channel or turn off the TV set when offensive material comes on, with an explanation of what is wrong with the program
• set limits on the amount of time they spend with the television; consider removing the TV set from the youngster's bedroom
• to offset peer pressure among friends and classmates, contact other moms & dads and agree to enforce similar rules about the length of time and type of program the kids may watch

Moms & dads can also use these measures to prevent harmful effects from television in other areas such as racial or sexual stereotyping. The amount of time kids watch TV, regardless of content, should be moderated because it decreases time spent on more beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and developing hobbies. If moms & dads have serious difficulties setting limits, or have ongoing concerns about their youngster's behavior, they should contact a child and adolescent psychiatrist for consultation and assistance.

The Influence of Music and Music Videos—

Singing and music have always played an important role in learning and the communication of culture. Kids learn from what their role models do and say. For many years, some kids's television very effectively used the combination of words, music and fast-paced animation to achieve learning.

Most moms & dads are concerned about what their young kids see and hear, but as kids grow older, moms & dads pay less attention to the music and videos that capture and hold their kids's interest.

Sharing music between generations in a family can be a pleasurable experience. Music also is often a major part of a young person's separate world. It is quite common for young people to get pleasure from keeping adults out, which causes adults some distress.

A concern to many interested in the development and growth of young people is the negative and destructive themes of some kinds of music (rock, heavy metal, hip-hop, etc.), including best-selling albums promoted by major recording companies. The following themes, which are featured prominently in some lyrics, can be particularly troublesome:

• Drugs and alcohol abuse that is glamorized
• Graphic violence
• Sex which focuses on control, sadism, masochism, incest, kids devaluing women, and violence toward women
• Suicide as an "alternative" or "solution"

Moms & dads can help their young people by paying attention to their young person's purchasing, downloading, listening and viewing patterns, and by helping them identify music that may be destructive. An open discussion without criticism may be helpful.

Music is not usually a danger for a young person whose life is balanced and healthy. But if a young person is persistently preoccupied with music that has seriously destructive themes, and there are changes in behavior such as isolation, depression, alcohol or other drug abuse, evaluation by a qualified mental health professional should be considered.

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