Youth Violence
Eighteen years ago, my uncle was a victim of gun violence. He was just eighteen years
old. His friend stole his father’s gun to show-off and use for protection, but instead used it to kill
my uncle. My family still does not know the truth about what happened that night. I think if my
uncle was not killed, we would have had a very good relationship. From what I have heard about
him from my mother, we had similar hobbies like playing video games and basketball. His death
brought a lot of pain for my family because my siblings and I have never met him. All my family
has to remember him by are old photo and memories.
Violence affects my life directly and indirectly. Before school ended for the summer last
year, I went to Mozart Street Park with two friends. After school that day we went there and
played for an hour. Then we went to get some snacks for a bit. When we came back we played a
game with a group of boys. When we were done my dad was there and I left. In the car he told
me that I couldn’t go to that basketball court again because there were fights between two gangs
and that there were a lot of violent incidents at that court. I felt mad because I couldn’t go to that
park anymore because it was dangerous. In the end I respected my parent’s decision not to allow
me to go play basketball there with my friends.
One of the causes of youth violence is young people are lacking something or someone
positive in their life. The lack of jobs and opportunities can make a teenager feel as if there is no
choice other than selling drugs to make money. Selling drugs is a fast and easy way of making
money. Another example is if they lack a positive role model who can lead them in the right
direction. The lack of good youth centers to hang out with friends and where there are positive
people to help teens make the right choices, can also lead to violence. A good youth program can
be a place to find a better friend than the friend they have now, that friend might be an influence
and pressure them to violent acts. Finally peer pressure is a cause of youth violence because at
school the pressure to have the best sneakers and clothes could lead to kids to selling drugs or
delivering drugs to make a quick buck.
There are many other things than the lack of something in a youth’s life that cause youth
violence. One such thing is violence in their home or community. Being addicted to drugs can
lead to a life of crime. If all you see is violence in your home or in your neighborhood, you have
no other way of behaving because this all you know. Another thing is the absence of a parent
because their parent is in jail or divorced. A third one is they have seen a violent act in their
neighborhood that changes how they act toward others. If you see someone you love get shot,
you might want to avenge their death by acting just like the murderer and the cycle of violence
continues. Being addicted to drugs can lead to a life of crime.
There are many things I can do about youth violence in my community. I can be a good
role model to younger kids in my school by helping them when they ask for help. I can be a good
friend by listening to a friend’s problems and giving them advice. I could approach problems
with calmness instead of aggression. If I see violence happening at school I can tell a teacher
what happened. I could go to youth centers instead of hanging out in the street where there is
nothing to do. If I’m able to change the way I act towards other people then maybe people might
come to me for advice. I could speak up and tell a teacher when I see bullying happening
because bullying is just a form of youth violence that happens at school. If many of these things
existed when my uncle was alive, then perhaps the person who killed him might have found
other options other than possessing a gun.