Are parents to blame for youth violence?

If there is anything abundantly clear, it is the fact that youth violence has increased substantially over the past few decades. Bullying in school has reached new levels. And the repercussions of that bullying is being shown to have a lasting effect. But there’s more to the story.

Today, we are going to look at some key aspects of today’s society versus that of just last century. Along the way, maybe we can get a greater understanding of what’s happening that’s causing youth violence. Clearly we aren’t living in the same day and age of those before us.

The good ole days…

For years, the relationship between parent and child has been a combination of unconditional love as well as a symbiotic one. This author’s grandmother, for example, had 13 other siblings. And it isn’t for the reasons some may think. When born and raised on a farm, children were de facto hired hands.

Gone are those days where the family ended work and sat down for a home cooked meal. Today we have packaged goodies and deliciousness delivered without ever lifting a spatula. This is where the breakdown that may be contributing to youth violence starts. Lack of participation and belonging to the family unit.

Sleeping on the job…

Instead, we have a crisis on many fronts that prevent children from getting the upbringing that has seemingly been effective for so long. The opioid crisis has turned once fun-loving moms and dads into nodding zombies. To the point that many children learn to fend for themselves long before they should.

Social media has also taken its toll on society’s parenting methods and even the ability to raise productive children. Babies are given iPads as soon as they can point at them. Toddlers, teenagers, and even young adults are all addicted to their devices. Meanwhile, mom is trying to go viral for all the wrong reasons and dad’s on the Playstation yelling at 10 year olds.

Who is watching who in this day and age? Youth violence existed in the past, but not at the levels we’re seeing today. Some people even recall when driving to school with hunting rifles in your back window was just a normal thing. The thought of harming a human being, much less multiple individuals, was rare.

Crazy runs in the family…

With the rise of recent youth violence in schools, it’s clear that the perpetrators of these horrendous acts have extreme mental health issues. Why wasn’t this caught by their parents? Why did their friends not mention something to anyone? In some cases, these parents are more of a friend than a guiding voice.

Without mentioning dates or names, one recent event shocked the nation when it was found that the child’s father encouraged them to have the firearm that they used. It was readily available to them along with any necessary ammunition even though they were well below the age when they should be trusted with such responsibility.

Tools of respect…

That being said, many of us got their first firearm in our early teens. But it wasn’t out of a desire for our parents to be our best friend. We were taught to respect it for the power it has to end life. It was another tool in Dad’s belt to help us work into the right mindset for owning and using something so dangerous. Plus, we were outdoorsmen and that’s just what we did.

If there’s one thing that’s apparent, there’s less youth violence when kids have something to do with their time. It must be engaging, and imprinting in a way that teaches life lessons. Learning that there is more to the world to see than the end of your nose is a good start. Team activities, fishing, hunting, and many other things can be just the distraction kids need.

Lost in the shuffle…

But they won’t find it unless we as parents help them. Until that time, we may see more youth violence than we did in the past. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, but we need to ask very hard questions when it does. The first of which is: “Are parents to blame for that youth violence?” Sadly, we’re seeing a trend that says yes.

Are you struggling with something that keeps you from spending the right kind of time with your children? Maybe it’s time to get some help so you can be there for them. And maybe that will be all it takes to prevent or lessen the chance of yet another case of youth violence.