Abstract
No concrete statistical evidence exists to support the general perception of society that violence among children is on the rise. Nonetheless, it is possible that violence is increasing at a decreasing rate. Therefore, the augment in criminal violence cannot be measured in many studies.
There are a number of factors contributing to violence among children. The two main factors are media and the social environment cum family background.
A case in point is of James Bugler, a two-year old toddler, who was cold-bloodedly murdered at the hands of 2 ten-year old schoolboys.
Bullying is the most common form of violence among children. It can be harsh and severe as well as mild. Nonetheless, it has a psychological impact on the minds of the young victims.
Statistical Evidence of Violence Among Children
The Director of Barnardos, a children’s charity organization in United Kingdom, had publicly acknowledged that “there was no statistical evidence to support the perception of increased violence”. In fact, he backed his statement by mentioning that a decrease in the “number of hardcore child-offenders” was noted. This was published in Observer on June 18, 1995. The society is ignores statistics most of the time. Therefore, public opinion about the increase in violence is rather difficult to change unless “media” quits sensationalizing the incidence of violence among children. (Freeman, Henderson, Kettle, 1999, p. 25). It cannot be stated with certainty whether violence among children is on the rise. Nonetheless, it is possible that violence maybe increasing among them but at a decreasing rate.
Reasons For Violence Among Children
There are a multitude of possible factors which could be contributing to violence. Often, these reasons are “interrelated”. The primary cause is the “social injustice prevailing” in the country. This includes “poverty, racism, unemployment, substance abuse, proliferation of guns, inadequate or abusive parenting practices, real-life adult models of violent problem-solving behavior, and frequent exposure to violence through the media”. (“Problem of Violence”, n.d).
Research conducted internationally has proved that it is difficult to define one particular or a set of factors which influence children’s psyche and incline them towards crime and violence. Nonetheless, “social, personality and biological factors” are likely the determinants of children’s attitude towards crime. (Hagell & Jeyarajah-Dent, 2006, p. 237).
According to a position paper published by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), violence in media has the greatest impact on children’s mind. As children up to seven or eight years of age “have great difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality”, they are more susceptible to the inspirational media. (Media Violence in Children’s Lives, 1994). However, David and Reiss (1993) believed that it is the “environment”, particularly the society and the family, which affects children’s behviour and promotes violence among them. They state that according to the research, children belonging to conventional societies and little-educated families are more prone to violence. (Reiss & David, 1993, p. 33).
A Case of Violence in United Kingdom
A famous case in history is of a two-year old toddler, James Bulger, who was brutally murdered in London by two ten-year old boys. His assassins were schoolboys named Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. They took the little boy away from his mother at a shopping mall in Liverpool. These boys “tried to drown James Bulger, then beat him to death with rocks and bricks and an iron rod, leaving his body to be cut in half by a train.” Venables and Thompson have served 15 years in prison and are now freed with new identities. (Bulger killers: Was justice done?, 2001).
Bullying: A Form of Violence Among Children
Bullying is an “anti-social behviour” to which children become victim in “schools, neighbourhoods and homes” globally. The children are “teased, physically hit or attacked, ignored, socially isolated, or called names; have personal property stolen or defaced repeatedly; have rumors spread about them; or be publicly or privately humiliated and embarrassed”. (Bullying Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents)
Conclusion
No statistics prove that violence among children is on the rise. However, likely factors contributing to an increase in violence are prevalent in United Kingdom and other countries.
References
Freeman, C, Henderson, P & Kettle, J, 1999, Planning With Children for Better Communities: The Challenge to Professionals, The Policy Press, Bristol.
Hagell, A & Jeyarajah-Dent, Renuka, 2006, Children Who Commit Acts of Serious Interpersonal Violence, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, England.
Reiss & David, 1993, Children and Violence, Guilford Press, New York.
Bullying Behavior Among Children and Adolescents 2005, American Medical Association, 2007. Web.
The Problem of Violence n.d, National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2007, Web.
Bulger killers: Was justice done? 2001, CNN, 2007. Web.
Media Violence in Children’s Lives 2004, National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2007. Web.