2001 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Prevent Violence, Increase Resiliency Among Arkansas Youth
Risk Factors Associated With Youth Violence

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Individual

There are many varied attributes of individuals that can be considered risk factors. Some of these are as follows:

Alcohol abuse
Illicit drug use
Irresponsible use of firearms
Central nervous system dysfunction
Early aggression and antisocial behavior
Emotional disorders
Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
Individual temperament
Biological deficits that can complicate or interfere with bonding and teaching of prosocial values and norms
Bias, racism, prejudice
Inability to resolve conflict effectively
Low self-esteem
Difficulty managing anger
Low tolerance for frustration
Exposure to violence through media, witnessing violence, and victimization

Family

There also are many family-related risk factors:

Parental involvement in violence or crime
Poor parental supervision
Inconsistent and harsh discipline
Disruption in caregiving
Child abuse
Weak family bonding
Exposure to and reinforcement of violence in the home
Lack of positive role models to teach values and social norms
Social isolation
Low socioeconomic status
Parental unemployment
Bias, racism, prejudice
Illegal ownership of firearms, routine carrying of firearms, gang membership, hard drug use
Lack of a significant relationship with a caring adult

School and Peers

School can generate conflict and frustration. Depending on the location, population, and administration, school can also be a hostile and unsafe environment that generates fear. Failure and inability to meet school and peer performance demands create stress and conflict. Tracking performance and status-seeking behavior can increase the stress. Serious delinquency and problem school behavior are strong predictors of youth violence. The following risk factors are significant:

Associations with delinquent and drug-using peers
Gang membership
Lack of prosocial peers
Peer rejection
Poor success in school
Low attachment to teachers
Dropping out of school
Low educational goals
Feeling unsafe, need for self-defense
Bias, racism, prejudice
In the case of gang violence, the need to belong and the need for self-protection

Neighborhood and Community

Neighborhoods and communities may contain the following risk factors:

Absence of any effective social organization in neighborhoods, which is connected to high rates of crime
No effective means of resisting violent activity – no cohesion
Living in impoverished, high-crime areas
Lack of accessible services
Lack of recreational space and activities
Feeling unsafe, need for self-defense
Bias, racism, prejudice
Gang membership based on a need to belong, for identification or for self-protection
Attitudes and beliefs that support or tolerate the use of violence

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