Teen Violence Eased by Trio of Factors
by Ed Vitagliano
May 13, 2004
(AgapePress) - It probably won't come as a surprise to pro-family groups, but researchers from University of Washington have found that some rather traditional factors can help steer teens away from participating in crime."Aggressive 15-year-olds who attended religious services, felt attached to their schools or were exposed to good family management were much less likely to have engaged in violent behavior by the time they turned 18," the university said in a press release announcing the study's results.
The researchers, led by assistant professor of social work Todd Herrenkohl, the study's author, called the trio of influences "protective factors," and said they "can foster pro-social and healthy behaviors."
"[G]ood family management," for example, was considered to include such parental habits as "actively providing supervision, setting clear rules and expectations for behavior, and reinforcing good work habits."
Among black teens with such parents, 11 percent had become violent by the time they turned 18. But for black adolescents "whose parents did not have these kinds of skills," the study said 49 percent later became violent.
Even with the presence of other risk factors, such as living in run-down housing, poverty, or in neighborhoods with gangs and drug activity, the researchers found that church, school, and family reduced the likelihood of criminal violence.
"While much research has shown that aggressive children are at high risk for later serious and chronic behavior, it is never too late to intervene -- and it is a mistake to assume that all early behavior problems will lead to later and more serious anti-social behavior," Herrenkohl said. "This research is the first step in documenting those things that can benefit children later on and protect them against violent behavior."
Ed Vitagliano, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is news editor for AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. This article appeared in the May 2004 issue.
