Running Head: Youth Violence in the United States

Youth violence has become one the recent challenges in the United following its highly increasing levels. In the recent past, statistics from the emergency departments of United States showed that it had treated a record of 750,000 youths who had injuries related to youth violence. Basically, youth delinquency in the country has increased drastically because of many factors like the history of aggressive behavior, hyperactivity, poor behavioral control, antisocial beliefs and attitudes. It has been associated with dictatorship child upbringing, low parental care, and low parental income, substance abuse association with violent peers, gang groupings, and low attention to school.

Additionally, other factors like family disruptions, reduced economic activities and high concentration of powers in one area has also been critical aspects towards this problem. A research survey which was carried out in high schools from the United states of America showed that 33% of the students had engaged in physical fight one or more times in a year. Surprisingly, it also showed that 17% of the students carried gadgets like guns and knives that could assist them in incidences of violence outbreak more than once in every month. Youth violence can be defined as any act of being aggressive to others and causes disturbance to them either psychologically, emotionally or physically. Such acts include bullying in schools, raping, sodomizing, theft, abusing others, terrorizing, racism, tribalism, ethnic cleansing, nepotism and causing conflict between individuals or communities (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/yvfacts.htm ).

In the United States, such acts of violence have caused various adverse impacts to the country. Firstly, they have increased the cost of health care significantly. The violence results to many casualties who directly need some medical attention in the nearest health facilities since some of them are usually in critical states. Such cases include gun shots, rape, sodomized and psychologically stressed victims. Secondly, the acts of violence lower the rate of productivity at macro, mezzo or micro levels. Once violence breaks out, it draws the attention of many people and they therefore shift their attention from the productive activities like business, farming and others. The provision of the vital services like electricity and water supplies are cut. Consequently, the output of the people goes down drastically. In the United States, this has been the trend whenever youth violence occurs (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/yvfacts.htm ).

Thirdly, youth violence in the United States has led to decline in property value across the country. The states that have frequent cases of violence in the past has experienced decrease in value of houses ,land and all other products from them. In addition, this has led to the scaring of potential investors and loss of investor confidence which has resulted to slow economic growth in the affected states. Elsewhere, school in-attendance has increased in the states where racism, lack of safety and discrimination is still common. This has resulted to decline in education quality and low literacy levels.

As of necessity, violence has been associated with the disruption of social harmony and breakdown of social services in violence vulnerable states leading to the decay of the bonds between individuals, families and communities. Additionally, the worst of all the effects of violence is the deaths and disabilities that result from this brutal acts of violence. This is a sublime aspect that leaves the families and communities with a lot of grieve and agony (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/yvfacts.htm ).

In conclusion therefore, youth violence in the United States is increasing with the advancement of technology and the situation needs to be curbed and legal measures enforced to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book without compromise. The government also needs to use and research on various protective factors to prevent then youth from becoming violent. The implications held by youth violence in all levels of the American society are huge and any process towards its minimization should not be compromised.

Reference

• Youth Violence Facts: Fact Sheet. Retrieved on 11th November 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/yvfacts.htm