A Deep Dive Into Violence in America

Have you noticed the uptake in violence in America? Nearly 5,000 people died in America due to gun violence just last month. Today American violence has been increasing, as we have seen through the many mass shootings, decreasing mental health, the overuse of social media and the dilemma of poverty.

Poverty

There are many reasons why people are violent, and poverty is one of them. You may be asking why or how it's linked to poverty, and the reason is if people are poor, they have nothing to lose, so they commit crimes and act violent for a chance to escape poverty. Author Kevin Shird once said, “Violence does not cause poverty. Violence, is a symptom of poverty.”

According to the US Department of Justice, from the period of 2008-12, people living in poor households at or below the Federal Poverty Level had more than double the rate of violent victimization as persons in high-income households. 

Poverty thresholds were first recorded in the US by the Social Security Administration in 1963-1964.  According to the Guardian, the United States is the leader in poverty among the rich countries of the world. Additionally, The homicide rate in the US was 7.5 times higher than the homicide rate in the other high-income countries combined.

Mental Health 

Following the covid 19 pandemic, mental health issues in this country have increased considerably.  The effects of mental health problems, like addiction, can be major contributors to increased violence in America.

People diagnosed with depression are roughly three times more likely than the general population to commit violent crimes. When a person is depressed, it can be tempting to relieve depressive symptoms by turning to substances such as drugs and alcohol. Chemical intoxicants can make depressive episodes more severe, thereby adding self-destructive behavior and negative thought. 

Forbes.com reported that 50.2% of the LGBTQIA+ community experience mental health problems in 2020. Also, they are more than twice as likely to suffer from substance abuse issues. Additionally, in  2019, 86% of LGBTQ youth have been harassed or assaulted at school. This may impact someones mental health and can cause suicidal thoughts.  So, both men and women in the LGBTQ community are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety. 

When asked how mental health contributes to violence, Karen Hillman, Principal of DMS said, “There is this one quote that goes well for this question, hurt people hurt people, if you feel hurt you lash out with emotional pain.” 

Social Media

Social media is everywhere around us- in schools, jobs, film, media and even in our hands (with phones). There's no denying the benefits of Social media, like connecting with friends many miles away or learning about diverse topics that you care about.  However, Social media can cause things such as addiction, cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, FOMO and a lot worse.

Exposure to social media can cause depression in many ways. When people constantly are shown celebrities or people who are “better than them,” that makes those people think that they are inadequate, saddened and depressed. Many young people constantly scroll, and scroll, waiting to get another hit of dopamine until they become even more sad.  Thus the cycle continues. 

A simple way to combat this is by limiting your screen time. But most people unfortunately don't have the tools to do that which sometimes can lead to violence.

Social Media can often cause bullying too. When you post a picture or put your opinion out there on the internet, people can respond positively. But, they can also respond negatively, which can create anxiety. 

Research shows that roughly one out of four (25 percent) teens are bullied, while up to 43 percent have been bullied while online. Some people on social media consume toxic content that poisons their expectations and promotes the concept of excess.

Albert Bandura, who developed Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), said, “Youth who oftentimes are continually exposed to violence in the media result to violence to solve their problems. This can partially be attributed to what they see and who they’re around, because youth learn their social skills from their surroundings.”

Time and time again, research shows that bullies bully others because they’re feeling bad about themselves. When much of America is also feeling bad about themselves, that makes them more likely to turn to violence. 

Mass Shootings

Today, in this country mass shootings have been increasing for 3 main reasons: Domestic violence, crisis situations, and access to firearms.

One reason that mass shootings have increased over the years is because it is easier to access firearms. Studies show that 79% of kids under the age of 18 use their families firearms, and 19% use their own. This shows that family members need to keep firearms away from their children. 

Another reason why gun violence is so high is because the average American owns up to five firearms. While the average American has more than one weapon is alarming in itself, having five is really dangerous, especially for as many people  suffering with mental health issues.

Domestic Violence has a big impact on mass shootings.  One of the causes is early trauma  in their childhood. According to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV) about two thirds of the mass shootings are connected to domestic violence. 

“Crisis  Point” is one of the big problems that is connected to mass shootings.  The most common way that mass shootings happen is at the crisis point. Some examples of crises that happen in a shooter's life are a rough childhood, a breakup, and a family member dying and bullying. 

Leading up to a mass shooting, the shooter will almost always experience something traumatic a month or shorter before the event. According to the EFSGV,  the more people that the shooters kill, the more brutal their life has been through childhood. 

This report was written by our up and coming student writers at the Dedham Middle School.