Teresa Calcano

ENGL 110

Professor Jesse Evans

The Motives of Youth Violence and Solutions

Their smiles burst as they run into the playground. Innocence is showing at its finest. Then a gunshot is heard in the air a split second later. They duck down, trembling in fear, wondering if this is their last day. The world is not perfect for kids. When they don’t have a home or a role model to rely on, the children have no choice, instead to adapt to the dreadful environment. Youth Violence has been a problem everywhere and brings disappointment and fear to families. School shootings, bullying, abuse, and gangs are examples of how this has not changed. Some people believe solving violence is doomed, but slowly we can protect these kids from the consequences of violence by finding the root of the problem and stating solutions. 

The first cause of youth violence is are with the community in which kids live. Communities influence youth on their values and the decisions they make in life. Halliday and Graham state, “Adolescents who were exposed to higher levels of community violence also engaged in higher levels of violent activity, associated with more deviant peers, and adhered more strongly to an aggressive cognitive style” (396). A quote like this supports my thesis since it explains that children who live in violent areas can get involved in the wrong friendship groups and be more aggressive. Therefore, living in a poor neighborhood is one of the many causes of youth violence.

3rd paragraph: causes- home 

• Intro= Similarly to the environment, home is as important as well, and parental guidance is needed to be used right. Therefore, having a bad role model to look up to can direct violent behavior.
• “One certain pathway is through modeling: When children are exposed to violence in the home, they come to see violence as relatively more acceptable, and they are more likely to resort to violence to solve problems. This is often referred to as the “cycle of violence,” and there is good evidence that the acceptability of violence in interpersonal relationships is often carried from one generation to the next.” (Steinberg 5)
• Further explanation on why it supports your thesis

4th paragraph: causes- social media

• Introducing statement 
• “With this in mind, the fact that many young people’s accounts contained material that reflects negative views of the police is troubling. Photos and videos of police officers accompanied by expletives and derogatory text were common features of content on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Periscope” (Irwin and Pinkey 18)
• Explanation 

5th paragraph: bullying

• Introducing statement 
• Quote
• Explanation 

6th paragraph= solutions to environment/ home life 

• Introducing statement 
• Quote
• Explanation 

7th paragraph= solutions to social media

• Introducing statement 
• Quote 
• Explanation 

 8th paragraph= solutions to mental health/bullying

• Introducing statement 
• Quote 
• Explanation 

9th paragraph: Conclusion 

• Concluding statement 
• How the info related to my thesis 
• Impact it will bring 
• Encouraging statement/ thinking question