Behavioral Trends Associated With Youth Violence
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Gary [email protected]
Dr. Richard Ruhrold is chief clinical psychologist at Bowen Center and serves as a senior vice president.
Ruhrold read recent news accounts about the case in Syracuse where 22-year-old Brandon Woody was charged with murder and attempted murder.
Woody is accused of shooting two of his peers. One victim, Josh Knisley, 19, died at the scene. The other, Tara Thornburg, 23, remained on life support late Friday pending organ donation proceedings.
Woody’s Facebook page contained posts that indicated he had embraced hip-hop culture and a “gangster” or “thug” persona.
He wrote rap lyrics and posted videos of his raps that were violent, vulgar and sexually oriented. He went by the rap name “Cash Flow.”
He had several prior run-ins with the law, including arrests for battery, theft and dealing marijuana.
“This was a very sad situation,” Ruhrold said Friday. “It was very sad and disturbing to me when I saw that in the newspaper.”
Ruhrold was quick to point out that he knew nothing about the case beyond what he had read and had no knowledge of Woody’s background.
Despite that lack of specifics, Ruhrold said there are generalizations psychologists can comment on with regard to violent behavior.
“Kids who are most likely to engage in violent behavior very commonly have problems with social relationships,” he said, adding that many times they are loners or outcasts who may have been bullied themselves at some point.
“While this is in no way a justification for violent behavior, it can be part of an explanation,” he said.
“It’s important to emphasize the difference between explanation and justification. These factors can contribute, but psychological theory is not a justification.”
Sometimes people who engage in violent behavior themselves have a significant trauma history.
“There is a saying in our business, ‘Hurt people hurt people,’” he said.
Especially among males, those who have experienced trauma often express their feelings by violence.
Ruhrold said there also is a cultural component involved.
“Males in our culture are expected to be strong and powerful. When they are distressed, they often express feelings with anger and aggression. Most acts of anger in our culture are perpetrated by men. There’s a cultural theme here. You’re expected to be the tough guy, not the sensitive guy,” he said.
Men who act out violently many times are reacting to their own fears and perceived shortcomings.
“In domestic violence situations, it gets most dangerous when the woman tells him she’s going to leave. He’s afraid, so he turns fear into violence or control,” Ruhrold said.
Violence and anti-social behavior also is associated with substance abuse and subculture associations.
“Someone who is isolated by their healthier peer group often seeks out others who support their behavior,” Ruhrold said.
This leads to young people seeking out a subculture where violence, drugs and alcohol is more common.
There is a high correlation between violent behavior and drugs and alcohol because those substances tend to “disinhibit us, to lower our impulse of self-control. It’s very dangerous as it relates to violence against others as well as suicide,” he said.
Psychologists say there are steps that can be taken to reduce youth violence.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a guide aimed at prevention, “Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action.” The full report can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/kdft5pb
Some suggestions from the report include:
• Serve as a mentor, tutor or volunteer at schools and youth-serving organizations to support the healthy development of all young people.
• Provide meaningful and appropriate opportunities through businesses and social/civic groups for youth to develop their interests, skills and talents.
• Praise good behavior and take immediate action to stop youth violence when it occurs.
• Support local action by joining or starting a youth violence prevention coalition that works across groups and sectors.
• Make prevention a community priority.
• Seek out and use existing resources to learn about effective youth violence prevention activities and programs.
• Share progress and successes to raise awareness that youth violence is a preventable public health problem.
• Actively disseminate the latest information about what works.
• Establish and maintain dedicated youth violence prevention staff.
• Enhance public health leadership for youth violence prevention.
• Continue research about factors that protect youth, families and neighborhoods from violence.
• Be a consistent model for how to respond nonviolently to conflict, stress and fear.
• Pay attention when youth behave well and help them see the benefits that come from their good choices.
• Build a connection with young people that allows them to feel comfortable discussing violence and related concerns.
• Carefully monitor youth’s activities and behavior, help youth make safe choices, and talk with others who have a strong influence on young people.
• Prevent minors from getting unsupervised access to firearms at home, from family and from friends.
• Stop and think before saying or doing anything that could hurt others, act in nonviolent ways, and get help from a trusted adult or safe place.
• Spend time with people and in places that are at low risk for violence.
• Help others be violence-free, and support those who have been hurt by violence.
• Show others how to stay safe.
• Get involved in violence prevention work.
[[In-content Ad]]
Dr. Richard Ruhrold is chief clinical psychologist at Bowen Center and serves as a senior vice president.
Ruhrold read recent news accounts about the case in Syracuse where 22-year-old Brandon Woody was charged with murder and attempted murder.
Woody is accused of shooting two of his peers. One victim, Josh Knisley, 19, died at the scene. The other, Tara Thornburg, 23, remained on life support late Friday pending organ donation proceedings.
Woody’s Facebook page contained posts that indicated he had embraced hip-hop culture and a “gangster” or “thug” persona.
He wrote rap lyrics and posted videos of his raps that were violent, vulgar and sexually oriented. He went by the rap name “Cash Flow.”
He had several prior run-ins with the law, including arrests for battery, theft and dealing marijuana.
“This was a very sad situation,” Ruhrold said Friday. “It was very sad and disturbing to me when I saw that in the newspaper.”
Ruhrold was quick to point out that he knew nothing about the case beyond what he had read and had no knowledge of Woody’s background.
Despite that lack of specifics, Ruhrold said there are generalizations psychologists can comment on with regard to violent behavior.
“Kids who are most likely to engage in violent behavior very commonly have problems with social relationships,” he said, adding that many times they are loners or outcasts who may have been bullied themselves at some point.
“While this is in no way a justification for violent behavior, it can be part of an explanation,” he said.
“It’s important to emphasize the difference between explanation and justification. These factors can contribute, but psychological theory is not a justification.”
Sometimes people who engage in violent behavior themselves have a significant trauma history.
“There is a saying in our business, ‘Hurt people hurt people,’” he said.
Especially among males, those who have experienced trauma often express their feelings by violence.
Ruhrold said there also is a cultural component involved.
“Males in our culture are expected to be strong and powerful. When they are distressed, they often express feelings with anger and aggression. Most acts of anger in our culture are perpetrated by men. There’s a cultural theme here. You’re expected to be the tough guy, not the sensitive guy,” he said.
Men who act out violently many times are reacting to their own fears and perceived shortcomings.
“In domestic violence situations, it gets most dangerous when the woman tells him she’s going to leave. He’s afraid, so he turns fear into violence or control,” Ruhrold said.
Violence and anti-social behavior also is associated with substance abuse and subculture associations.
“Someone who is isolated by their healthier peer group often seeks out others who support their behavior,” Ruhrold said.
This leads to young people seeking out a subculture where violence, drugs and alcohol is more common.
There is a high correlation between violent behavior and drugs and alcohol because those substances tend to “disinhibit us, to lower our impulse of self-control. It’s very dangerous as it relates to violence against others as well as suicide,” he said.
Psychologists say there are steps that can be taken to reduce youth violence.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a guide aimed at prevention, “Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action.” The full report can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/kdft5pb
Some suggestions from the report include:
• Serve as a mentor, tutor or volunteer at schools and youth-serving organizations to support the healthy development of all young people.
• Provide meaningful and appropriate opportunities through businesses and social/civic groups for youth to develop their interests, skills and talents.
• Praise good behavior and take immediate action to stop youth violence when it occurs.
• Support local action by joining or starting a youth violence prevention coalition that works across groups and sectors.
• Make prevention a community priority.
• Seek out and use existing resources to learn about effective youth violence prevention activities and programs.
• Share progress and successes to raise awareness that youth violence is a preventable public health problem.
• Actively disseminate the latest information about what works.
• Establish and maintain dedicated youth violence prevention staff.
• Enhance public health leadership for youth violence prevention.
• Continue research about factors that protect youth, families and neighborhoods from violence.
• Be a consistent model for how to respond nonviolently to conflict, stress and fear.
• Pay attention when youth behave well and help them see the benefits that come from their good choices.
• Build a connection with young people that allows them to feel comfortable discussing violence and related concerns.
• Carefully monitor youth’s activities and behavior, help youth make safe choices, and talk with others who have a strong influence on young people.
• Prevent minors from getting unsupervised access to firearms at home, from family and from friends.
• Stop and think before saying or doing anything that could hurt others, act in nonviolent ways, and get help from a trusted adult or safe place.
• Spend time with people and in places that are at low risk for violence.
• Help others be violence-free, and support those who have been hurt by violence.
• Show others how to stay safe.
• Get involved in violence prevention work.
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092