Communication And Cultivation Theory

Violent Behavior Exhibited by Juveniles is Influenced by Parental Neglect and Changing Social Conditions

Young people today live in a fast paced world. They are bombarded with violence in the media, lack of parental supervision in the home, and social influences that have created an atmosphere of acting out in the communities where they reside. Violent behavior exhibited by juveniles has become more pronounced, partly due to parental neglect and changing social conditions. Understanding how this environment has developed may help provide solutions to this growing problem which affects all of us.

When our parents were growing up in the 1960's and 70's, it was more common for mothers to stay home to raise their children. In 1975 only 46% of US women were in the workforce. (Simpson) They were available to monitor their children's activities and to keep abreast of the outside influences that were interacting with their lives. Today 60% of mothers are employed outside the home. Not only are there more dual parents in the workforce, but they are spending 66 hours on average, on the job and away from their families. (Toosi) Therefore, young people today have more free and unsupervised time to become involved in activities that may not be productive. Another aspect of family

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life that affects our youth is the prominence of single parents. Whether they are mothers or fathers, they are working hard to provide for their families. Some parents do not have the time or the energy to devote to teaching and training their children about the consequences of their actions until it is too late. If parents have failed to form strong attachments to their children by providing positive consistent discipline methods, open communication, and close monitoring and supervision of their activities, the family unit breaks down. (Alvarado) When parents are too focused on their own needs, juveniles will look to their peers for acceptance. Teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, youth conflict and aggression will grow into family violence, gang participation and low self esteem. (Teen Violence) Anti-social values and behaviors, due to lack of strong family attachments can result in acting out and ultimately, violence. Juveniles who do not care about themselves will refuse to show empathy to other people. Violence is the next step in this chain of self destruction.

Inter-cities have a more disproportionate concentration of violent offenses than rural areas. (Strauss) This may be attributed to the fact that violent offenders tend to live in the poorer neighborhoods. Social disadvantages do play a role in delinquent behavior. Studies have shown those friendships and the roles that adolescents play within their neighborhoods affects the transmission of deviant attitudes and delinquent behaviors. Hierarchies develop in gang memberships that influence and perpetuate violence. Social disorganization in neighborhoods where the structure has disintegrated leads to disorder and crime by our youth. (Dietrick)

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Violence in the media is more prevalent today than ever before. It glorifies violent behavior and desensitizes young people to negative results of their aggressive

actions. Violence on television occurs on most prime time dramas. By the age of 12 the average 12 year old child today has been exposed to at least 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts violence on television. (Zur) With only 5 television channels back in the 60's compared to the 100's available on cable and dish networks now, it is no surprise that our youth are contaminated with the amount of violence on television today. Rap music has gained a large teenage audience in the past decade. Much of it promotes sexual crimes against women and portrays them in a negative manner. This is very unlike the lyrics of an old Beetles tune of the 60's where the innocent title of the song was "I want to hold your hand." Law enforcement is treated with disrespect in many lyrics and violence is the main theme of the day. Video games encourage kids to learn the most successful way to kill. Mortal Combat is a very popular game that can be found in many households and is played by preteens. Radio jock, Howard Stern, promotes the sexual degradation of women on a national scale. All of this influences juveniles to act aggressively and without regard for other people. The media today is a barrage of violence that desensitizes young people and makes them venerable to committing unlawful acts against society. (Bender) Even comic books and cartoons are not immune to sending out violent messages to young impressionable youth. If it's cool to rob people or kill people the way the media promotes it, why wouldn't impressionable juveniles imitate that behavior? Children are people watchers and imitators of the behavior they see around them. If they observe violence, they are much more likely to express violence. (Teen Violence)

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Some people believe that young people are victims of big corporations who profit on the violence that the media sells. Since children today are watching more television than ever before, it would be impossible to escape the influence of the violent messages. (Teen Violence and the Media) Businesses promote records, video games, and television programming that will encourage kids to turn in and purchase their products. Sex and violence are commonplace in what is being sold to teenagers to engage them in their television programming. Shows, such as several versions of CSI, Criminal Minds, Law and Order are all available to influence teenagers about how to commit violent crime. If kids need any ideas about criminal behavior, they just have to stay home and tune in to learn from these television shows. When juveniles absorb all of the negative messages being sent out over the airwaves, it is no surprise that they imitate what see. (Zur) It is amazing that they may not consider these violent actions as being real when played out in real life.

In December 1997, three students were murdered and five others wounded in Paducah, Kentucky. A 14 year old, Michael Carneal, gunned them down in a school hall while they were praying. In Jonesboro, Arkansas a 13 year old, Mitchell Johnson, and an 11 year old, Andrew Golden, killed four girls and a teacher at their Middle school. In both cases, the guns were obtained from their families. These boys appeared before their respective judges tearful and stunned that their acts could have resulted in their classmate's deaths. (The Washington Post) These were horrible