VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this editorial by Fulginiti was to examine some of the problems faced by American youth with regard to violence. METHODOLOGY: In a non-experimental discussion of violence and children in the United States, the author examined a number of studies in the field, and offered some recommendations for protecting children from the dangers of violence. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The author began with a couple of studies concerning children and violence. A study by Meehan and O'Carroll found that gangs, rather than drug-related activities, tended to place youth at risk for serious violence. Sheley et al. examined the role of guns in schools, and found that one in ten victimizations involved an innocent bystander. The author then offered a number of conclusions that findings such as these suggest. He concluded that many youth in the United States today live in violent surroundings, living, working and playing within an environment that has accepted violence as a normal aspect of life. Not only are schools and neighborhoods unsafe, but the home has also become a violent setting, with family violence becoming rampant. Children are also exposed to violence in the media, which is thought to desensitize viewers and to teach them that violence is an acceptable mode of behavior. With children surrounded by violence in all aspects of their lives, the author found that is was not surprising that so many become violent themselves. Whilst much has been written about the nature of this problems, little has been concluded about how to prevent such violence. AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS: The author suggested that until the problems of poverty, drugs, unemployment and other social ills are addressed by society, violence will continue to be a major aspect of life. As a physician, the author advocated that the medical profession be alert for signs of violence within their patients, so action can be immediately taken. Incidents of physical abuse or neglect of patients should be reported to the appropriate agencies, including the police. Action should be taken by the professional medical societies, to take a stand against violence and help promote prevention. Citizens should support groups in society that try to ameliorate factors associated with violence. For example, citizens could act as advocates for decreasing the amount of violence shown on children's television and could educate parents on regulating children's viewing habits; they could lobby for gun control and educate communities about the dangers of guns. People could help school administrators to reduce the violent environment in which they work and in which children have to learn. The author concluded that, since violence threatens to overtake illness as a cause of death in children, we must fully understand the problem and take immediate action to help eliminate violence from young people's lives. EVALUATION: The author presents an interesting and informative discussion of the issue of violence and children in the United States today. Although his paper is somewhat brief and could be further developed, the recommendations directed at reducing children's exposure to violence should be heeded by prevention, intervention and policy planners, and should act as foundations upon which to build future research in the study of violence. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - Professional Commentary KW - Juvenile Violence KW - Juvenile Offender KW - Juvenile Victim KW - Child Violence KW - Child Offender KW - Child Victim KW - At Risk Child KW - At Risk Juvenile KW - At Risk Youth KW - Juvenile Gang KW - Gang Memberships Effects KW - Violence Risk Factors KW - Victimization Risk Factors KW - Firearms Violence KW - School Violence KW - Exposure to Violence KW - Media Violence Effects KW - Television Violence KW - Television Viewing
Language: en
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