A Study of the Perceptions of Youth Violence in America by America’s Youth

Authors

John M. Collins, Brigham Young University
Dr. Macleans A. Geo-JaJa, Brigham Young University

Keywords

youth violence, America, youth, teenage alcohol, drug abuse, school violence

College

David O. McKay School of Education

Department

Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Abstract

The 1980s saw an increase in youth violence, teenage alcohol, and drug abuse. The media is continually bombarding homes with news stories on teenage gang wars, drive by shootings, and school violence. The Department of Justice (DOJ) in its 2001 Report stated that there were 2.5 million students between the ages of twelve and eighteen that were victims of a crime committed on school property in 1999. This same year, the DOJ indicated that of these victims about 186,000 were of serious violent crimes, including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. In 1999, 2.5 million juveniles were arrested. This accounts for 17% of all arrests made in the United States and 16% of all violent crimes. However, according to the DOJ, juvenile crime has been steadily declining since 1994. Regardless of the decline in trends, recent violent acts on school campuses have become front-page headlines and sound bites on the nightly news. This media attention has changed the public’s perception of youth violence.

Recommended Citation

Collins, John M. and Geo-JaJa, Dr. Macleans A. (2013) "A Study of the Perceptions of Youth Violence in America by America’s Youth," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 46.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/46