Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents

UNDERSTANDING VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
IN CHILDREN AND TROUBLED TEENS × Troubled Teens
Troubled Teens /trou.bled/ /teens/ n. Noun A troubled teen is defined as a person that is between the age 13-19 that is beset by problems or conflict. Every Teenager faces problems that they must encounter in their life.  Problems arise in every person’s life both big and small yet sometimes we allow even the most insignificant of problems affect our lives.  Sometimes with teenagers they allow trials in their life greatly affect them in negative ways.  Typically when a person (typically teenagers) face problems in their lives, the ability to cope with the problem does not exist.  When teenagers turn to other things to cope with the feelings of the problems that they usually face  things such as drugs and alcohol, pornography, criminal activity, etc. It is important to find help for troubled teens as soon as possible.  There are many different programs that are available to help troubled teens with the problems that they face each with a different approach and nature to the program.

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For Families:

* The most critical risk factor for violence for your children is the behavior of their peers × Peers
Peers /peer/ Peers are the people of which a person associates. Peers have a strong influence on person’s thoughts, actions, and will also play a key part in how a person develops and will determine who a person will become. Peers always have an influence but occur especially in a person’s youth. Parents should make it a priority to inform children of how important their peer group is on them. Discussions about this topic can help to prevent children from choosing friends that could lead them down dangerous paths. Peers who involve themselves in negative behaviors will begin to oppose school and parents and can also influence others in the peer group to do the same. It is important to support the finding of positively influential peers for children. However, peers can also help uplift others to strive to become better and want success. Those are the peers you should surround yourself with and also your children.
. Know who your kids associate with and encourage healthy peer relationships.
* The strongest risk factors during childhood are involvement in serious but not necessarily violent criminal behavior × Criminal behavior
Criminal behavior is defined as an act or failure to act in a way that violates public law. individuals suffering from a mental illness, behavioral and/or personality disorder, are at greater risk of participating in criminal behavior. Troubled teens who display, participate or act in criminal activity do so, for a variety of different reasons. Often times, teens who participate in unlawful or criminal behaviors, are suffering from therapeutic and emotional distress. In order to combat these afflictions, troubled teenage boys and girls need therapeutic assistance and treatment provided by professionals. Therapeutic treatment options such as, residential treatment centers for troubled teens, offer therapeutic restoration and rehabilitation that treat the underlying issues which may have been a cause, or main factor in the criminal behavior. By doing so, the teen is able to fix the emotional problems which may have been a key, contributing factor in their choice of criminal behavior, furthering their chances of full recover.
, substance use, being male, physical aggression, low family socioeconomic status or poverty and antisocial parents – all individual or family attributes or conditions. During adolescence, the strongest risk factors are weak ties to conventional peers, ties to antisocial or delinquent peers, belonging to a gang, and involvement in other criminal acts.

If your teen is engaged in violent behavior and there is no way to reason with him or her anymore, the only option left may be to send your troubled teen to a program. Zion Educaional Systems is a website for programs for troubled teens. Our dedicated staff is there to help parents to their troubled teens overcome their anger, violence, drug and alcohol abuse × Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol Abuse /al.co.hol/ /a.buse/  The definition of Alcohol Abuse is the intake of a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks improperly or in a negative view or purpose. There are many different types of alcohol, and the misuse of these types of substances can be very dangerous and can be the cause of many different problems.  This type of abuse can lead to many different types of impairments or distress. Along with physical problems that can come from recurrent drug abuse there are many other types of problems that can occur.  One effect can be a lack of interest in schooling and work.  The failure to fulfill roles and obligations in different settings of life can also occur.   Also, a poor performance in daily actions that may lead to legal problems. It is important to face Alcohol abuse as soon as possible and in an appropriate manner.  There are many different programs that are available to help fix these types of problems to rehabilitate someone’s life.
, and disrespect issues among other things. Our students come from all over the United States including California, New York, North Carolina, and Texas.

Children as young as preschoolers can show violent behavior. Parents and other adults who witness the behavior may be concerned, however, they often hope that the young child will grow out of it. Violent behavior in a child at any age always needs to be taken seriously. It should not be quickly dismissed as just a phase they’re going through!

Range of Violent Behavior
Violence in children and adolescents × Adolescents
Adolescents /ad.o.les.cent/ n.Noun The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term adolescent as a young person living in the transitional period between the years of puberty and adulthood until they reach the age of full maturity. Adolescents or teenagers, are living in a turbulent and trying time in a person's lifetime. If ill prepared, teens may flounder or display negative behaviors at home. Adolescents are prone to negative behaviors such as, drug and alcohol abuse and other chemical dependencies, sexual misconduct or acting out, failing grades at school and disrespect towards authority. It is for this reason that parents of adolescents need to be particularly mindful when they reach their teenage years. If a teenager is struggling during thus time of adolescence it, is crucial for parents to seek the right care for their son or daughter.    During this time, people are typically more susceptible to negative behaviors and dangerous habits.
can include a wide range of behaviors: explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression, fighting, threats or attempts to hurt others (including homicidal thoughts), use of weapons, cruelty toward animals, fire setting, intentional destruction of property and vandalism.
Violence in children and adolescents can include a wide range of behaviors: explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression, fighting, threats or attempts to hurt others (including homicidal thoughts), use of weapons, cruelty toward animals, fire setting, intentional destruction of property and vandalism.
Factors Which Increase Risk of Violent Behavior
Research studies have shown that a complex combination of factors increases risk of violent behavior in children and adolescents. These factors include:
Research studies have shown that a complex combination of factors increases risk of violent behavior in children and adolescents. These factors include:

* Previous aggressive or violent behavior
* Being the victim of physical, sexual or emotional abuse × Abuse
Abuse /a·buse/ Abuse is defined as the improper usage or treatment of an entity, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices: crimes or other types of aggression. Abuse is a negative and real threat that many people face. Child abuse is a problem that is continually occurring. The main types of child abuse are physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglecting. When these types of abuse occur in a home, they often go unnoticed. The stress and fear of the abuse will usually cause the victim to remain quite about the problem. It is a difficult problem to find out and assess, but there are solutions. It is important that people are aware of signs of abuse. They may include unexplained injuries, changes in behavior, fear of going home, changes in eating and sleeping and lack of personal care or hygiene.

* Exposure to violence in the home (domestic violence) and/or community
* Genetic (family heredity) factors
* Exposure to violence in media (TV, movies, etc.)
* Use of drugs and/or alcohol × Alcohol
al·co·hol n.noun a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel. When ingested, alcohol can be a deadly intoxicant. Teens and adults alike are more prone to make fateful and negative choices while drinking alcohol. A deadly intoxicant, alcohol has destroyed and ripped apart the lives of millions and yet, remains to be the drug of choice of troubled teens nationwide. Teenage minds are not yet able to fully appreciate the dangers that coincide with drinking. When drunk, teenagers commit and act out heinous activities which they would normally never commit or act out. Teenage pregnancy, driving under the influence, fighting and other consequences are more likely to occur while teens drink. Parents of teenage boys or girls who drink occasionally or struggle with the addiction of alcohol, need to seek immediate treatment for their son or daughter.

* Prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol
* Presence of firearms in home
* Combination of stresses on a family or individual (poverty, marital breakup, single parenting, unemployment, loss of support × Support
Support / sup·port/ n. Noun Support is defined as the act or instance of supporting; serve as a foundation for something else. Support can be given to many different ways. Through the encouragement to perform and progress and also through being there for someone who needs help. Support is usually shown through family and peers but can come from anywhere from support centers, rehab centers, and treatment centers. Without a support, confidence would be very difficult to find. Support is key to getting through trials and problems. The ability to have someone that is supporting you and encouraging you to move forward and progress is important to growth and change. Especially with youth, that as they are trying to find out who they are that they feel supported in all of their doings. This is important because as support and encouragement is shown the youth feel confident to become the best they can be.
from extended family)
* Brain damage from head injury

What are the warning signs for violent behavior in children? Children who have several risk factors and show the following behaviors should be carefully evaluated:

o Statements of threats to harm self or others
o Intense anger
o Frequent loss of temper or blow-ups
o Extreme irritability
o Extreme impulsiveness
o Becoming easily frustrated

Parents and teachers should be careful not to minimize these behaviors in children.

What can be done if a child shows violent behavior?
Whenever a parent or other adult is concerned, they should immediately arrange for a comprehensive evaluation by a qualified mental health × Mental health
Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”1 It is estimated that only about 17% of U.S adults are considered to be in a state of optimal mental health. The mental health in teenage boys and girls is a crucial issue and concern for parents. Teens, for a variety of reasons, tend to struggle with mental health more than adults or children who have not yet reached their teens. This is because of the turbulent time that comes with adolescence and the individual teen's inability to cope with said turbulence. Parents of troubled teens who struggle with mental health issues, actually have a plethora of treatment options to choose from. The type of treatment option that best fits the individual teen, greatly depends on the individual teens mental health issues.
professional. Early treatment by a professional can often help. The goals of treatment typically focus on helping the child to: learn how to control his/her anger; express anger and frustrations in appropriate ways; be responsible for his/her actions; and accept consequences × Consequences
n. noun con·se·quences The Merriam- Webster dictionary provides the following definitions for consequences: 1.the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier: The accident was the consequence of reckless driving. 2.an act or instance of following something as an effect, result, or outcome. Consequences is a prevalent issue in the life of a troubled teen. Troubled adolescents who suffer from negative consequences, do so because of their poor decision making. Whatever choice a teenage boy or girl decides to make, a consequence of that decision will soon follow. If a teen chooses to make productive choices in life, he/she will reap the benefits of positive consequences. However, if a teen makes poor choices such as, abuse drugs and alcohol, skipping class, hanging out with the wrong crowd or disobeying parents and authority, that teen will reap negative consequences. Negative consequences such as, legal troubles, being grounded from parents, or getting kicked out of school due to inactivity or rebelliousness, are all viable and likely negative consequences a teen will experience if he or she is making poor choices.
. Family conflicts, school problems, and community issues must also be addressed.

Can anything prevent violent behavior in children?
Research studies have shown that much violent behavior can be decreased or even prevented if the above risk factors are significantly reduced or eliminated.

In addition, the following strategies can lessen or prevent violent behavior:
o Prevention of child abuse (use of programs such as parent training, family support programs, etc.)
o Sex education and parenting programs for adolescents
o Early intervention programs for violent youngsters
o Monitoring child’s viewing of violence on TV, movies, video or computer games

Most importantly, efforts should be directed at dramatically decreasing the exposure of children and adolescents to violence in the home, community, and through the media.