Violence in Adolescence Types, Causes and Consequences

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Philip Kelley
Violence in Adolescence Types, Causes and Consequences

The violence in adolescence It is made up of manifestations of aggressiveness that are directed towards equals, family members or authority figures. In the first place, we must differentiate this violence from adolescent rebellion, which is conceived as a transitory stage in which children are modifying their roles in society, so in most cases it should not be a cause for alarm..

In today's society, an increase in violent behaviors is being observed by the adolescent population, in different contexts and in all social groups - upper, middle and lower class families-.

Article index

  • 1 Where is adolescent violence shown?
    • 1.1 Violence at home
    • 1.2 Violence between adolescent couples
    • 1.3 Violence at school
    • 1.4 Street violence
    • 1.5 Cyberbullying
  • 2 Types manifest violence in adolescence
    • 2.1 Verbal violence
    • 2.2 Physical violence
    • 2.3 Violence / psychological abuse
  • 3 Causes
  • 4 Consequences
  • 5 Prevention
    • 5.1 Observe
    • 5.2 Work on emotional development
    • 5.3 Working with abuser and abused
    • 5.4 Support
    • 5.5 Alcohol control
  • 6 Topics of interest
  • 7 References

Where is adolescent violence shown?

Regarding the scenarios in which violence occurs among the adolescent population, we find that they usually occur in:

Violence at home

It is common for families in which there are one or more adolescent children to experience conflict situations, due to the modification of norms, the demands of the children, etc..

The situation is aggravated if there are physical fights between two or more family members.

Teen dating violence

The data gleaned from research on teen dating violence is alarming. Surprisingly, this type of violence continues to increase, and is carried out by both boys and girls.

Many of the behaviors that are not usually perceived are: control over the other, gestures of humiliation, forcing to have sex, etc..

Violence at school

Unfortunately, the data collected in our country show that there are many cases of bullying among young people and adolescents. These violent behaviors have been widely studied, and there are many reasons why they continue to occur, such as:

  • Maintaining role of peers who act as spectators.
  • Victims who do not communicate their situation of harassment.
  • Violent behavior causes the aggressor to get away with it.

In addition, it is necessary to highlight the manifestations of violence that some students carry out on their teachers. In this sense, more measures should be taken to prevent these violent behaviors from occurring in the school environment.

Street violence

Some groups of adolescents unite to form gangs or street gangs, with the purpose of attacking people or to commit criminal acts - such as robberies of isolated people or in establishments-.

It is also cause for alarm that teenagers enjoy and amuse themselves by harming stray animals. There are many videos that have been collected of beatings of defenseless animals, leading to irreparable damage and even death.

This behavior with animals should not be perceived at any time as a normal behavior, linked to the adolescent stage. It is a compelling reason to carry out a psychological study of the adolescent and, if necessary, carry out a specific intervention.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a problem that young people must face today, since the action of their aggressors does not end when school hours end. Harassment can occur through threatening messages, posting demeaning photos or videos, teasing and public insults on social media, etc..

In addition, in recent years there have been cases in which videos of girls having sex have come to light. This is another form of violence, since it threatens the privacy and integrity of the adolescent in question.

Types manifest violence in adolescence

Next, we will differentiate the different manifestations of violence that can be found among the adolescent population - some of which may go unnoticed-.

Some of them are:

Verbal violence

Verbal violence is becoming normal in our society, especially when perceived among young people having seemingly minor confrontations.

Some examples of verbal violence can be name calling, yelling, etc., and can cause as much psychological damage as physical violence - especially when it occurs frequently-.

Physical violence

Physical violence is more alarming since it can cause serious damage to the body. They tend to carry greater punishments and, sometimes, the aggressors have to be held accountable..

Hitting, slapping and shoving are some examples of this type of violence among the adolescent population.

Violence / psychological abuse

Although it is a more subtle type of violence, it causes serious problems in the victim, such as low self-esteem, lack of autonomy, fear of their partner, etc. Some examples of psychological violence are the following:

  • Humiliation. This form of violence is very common. Refers to the fact that some people offend the other person, especially when they do so publicly.
  • Contempt. It refers to indifferent behavior that makes the person victim of this abuse feel bad.
  • Threats. A teenager can coerce another person, so that they end up getting what they want. This attitude will provoke a feeling of triumph in the aggressor, who will choose to use this method repeatedly.

Causes

The causes of violence in the young population are numerous. In studies on the subject, attention has been focused on the type of family of origin, especially.

Thus, we find that the family aspects that most promote adolescent violence are:

  • Parental absence -abandonment of the father or mother - totally or partially.
  • Dysfunctional family.
  • Authoritarian educational styles -in which the adolescent cannot negotiate the rules - or too permissive - in which there is a total absence of rules-.

Other aspects that enhance the manifestation of aggressive behaviors are the following:

  • Substance use. Alcohol and illegal drugs often cause violent behavior, such as confrontations, fights, and assaults.
  • Lack of individualized attention in schools. Sometimes it happens that teachers do not warn about unacceptable behaviors that occur within the school, so a specific intervention cannot be carried out.
  • Peer group acceptance wishes. Social recognition provides certain advantages in adolescents, such as a feeling of belonging to a group, increased self-esteem and increased satisfaction with life..

For all this, many young people have no qualms about carrying out violent behavior towards the weakest, in order to seek the approval of their peer group..

Consequences

As you can imagine, everything discussed so far has a negative impact on adolescents who experience violence in the first person. In relation to the victims, numerous indicators of psychological maladjustment have been observed, such as:

  • Social isolation.
  • Poor school performance.
  • Anxiety problems.
  • Depression.
  • Suicide ideas or attempts.
  • Greater dissatisfaction with your life.
  • Problems within your own family.

Victims do not usually ask their relatives or acquaintances for help, so you should be attentive if you suspect that your child is in this situation.

Prevention

In adolescents, it is especially difficult for you to intervene to help correct some maladaptive behavior, due to the parental detachment that young people try to carry out.

However, there are many things that are in your power to avoid consequences derived from youth violence. 

Watch

It is recommended that you begin to observe the violent behaviors that your child manifests since he is small, giving it special importance from the age of 10.

Work on emotional development

It is important that you work on his emotional development, that you explain the situations in which he has acted badly and teach him to put himself in the place of the other. All of this will help you develop your empathy, and this skill will help you to manifest less violent behavior towards other people..

Working with abuser and abused

On the other hand, in relation to the problem of violence between couples, until a few years ago attention had focused on the intervention with the aggressor, only. However, it seems that the work should be done in the same way with the person who has received abuse - physical, psychological, etc..-.

This is because, as has been shown, women who receive abuse have to improve their social skills, among others, in order to have an adequate romantic relationship.

Therefore, if your son / daughter has problems in relation to his / her partner, you should ensure that, with the help of a specialist, he / she develops the necessary skills to have satisfactory relationships.

Support for

Regarding bullying, whether you commit it or receive it, you will need support and help from your family so that you can put an end to it..

If your child is a victim of bullying, put means to prevent him from being in danger, warn the teachers, get involved in his education and make sure that this situation does not happen again.

In some cases, bullying is aimed at children with some type of physical or psychological disability, so you should inquire more if your child has these characteristics.

If it is a bullying that has been established for a long time, you can consider that the adolescent change schools, so that he is not labeled as the "weird", the "coward", etc..

Alcohol control

Another important factor that you must take into account is the control of alcohol and drug use. In addition to other side effects, you can prevent your child from being involved in violent situations.

Themes of interest

Types of bullying.

Psychological abuse.

Types of violence.

Dating violence.

Early adolescence.

Middle adolescence.

Late adolescence.

And you, what methods would you use to combat violence in adolescence?

References

  1. Alvarez-Solís, R .; Vargas-Vallejo, M. Violence in adolescence. Health in Tabasco (2002).
  2. Andrés Montero Gómez. Adolescence and gender behavior. Journal of Youth Studies (2006).
  3. D. Moreno, E. Estévez, S. Murgui and G. Musitu. Social reputation and relational violence in adolescents: the role of loneliness, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Psicothema 2009. Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 537-542.
  4. Isabel Menéndez Benavente. Adolescence and Violence: Crisis or Pathology? (2006).
  5. J. Cáceres Carrasco. Physical, psychological and sexual violence in the environment of the couple: role of the Clinical and Health context. Vol. 15, no. 1, 2004, pp. 33-54 Official College of Psychologists of Madrid.

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