Youth and aggression

From boredom to violence

A cruel reality like poverty, with no-perspective and the reign of the superior are just excuses. We will always find someone else to blame. But instead of placing the blame on one another, we should be solving the problem


By LJILJANA SAMARDŽIĆ
from Sombor, SERBIA


In the Sombor District Police Department (North-West Serbia), the number of felonies done by minors is increased by 20 percent compared to last year. Serious felonies can be found among these, such as raping an old woman and the brutal beating of one person resulting in death. The direct cause, according to yougsters, is usually either boredom or the fact that teh fellons are under the infulence of alcohol and narcotics. But, we can only assume what lies beneath the agression, because we still do not know the exact cause of the increased bursts of violence among young people. One thing that is certain is that we have a serious problem which needs to be solved.

The Outlet

When we investigate the stimulus for violence in young men we mostly stop at the last motive, which was, most likely, just the trigger. According to Silvija Kranjc, the manager of the Center for Social Care in Sombor, we are rarely trying to understand the inner motivations of youngsters. Are the bullies who mistreat their peers or those that are younger and weaker at the same time the victims of someone stronger, superior? And in being so, are they trying to find an outlet through violence? Even if this is not a justification, it is certainly the starting point - the parents or guardians and how they behave with the children. If the violence is a way of communication and living for the family, it cannot be expected that children learn something different.

Psychologist Jelena Sivulka believes that parents are the ones to blame because the upbringing is the backbone of one's personality. Sivulka has declared for WAVE magazine that the problem lies in the fact that parents are only silent observers of today's events, lots of them are jobless and so they become apathetic and they are no longer seen as an authority figure for their children. The fact is that the value system is lost and that the law is not obeyed. Youngsters are witnessing it and they are getting the wrong picture - rudeness, violence, lack of education, money and power it brings - are the only ways to success. If the authorities are incapable to provide and ensure better conditions, it's up to parents to do it instead.

The cruel realities like poverty, lack of perspective and the reign of the superior are just excuses. We will always find someone else to blame. But instead of placing the blame on one another, we should be solving the problem.

Legal aggression

It is hard to find a single generation in our country that hasn't been the witness of at least one war. During each of them, an enormous number of young people were forced to join the army to defend their country. Undoubtedly the war stimulates and justifies violence in a way. "During the nineties, violence was even more extended and worse because the aggression was expressed legally, in a socially acceptable way - in war and with material award", says Silvija Kranjc. The war pictures are present nowadays through different stories. The youngsters, full of energy, surrounded with those stories, direct their strength and energy in the wrong place. We can even hear statements from adults saying: "You don't need an education. Education is for lazy people!"

The pride and resentment of a victim

Psychologist Jelena Sivulka carried out a survey among the youngsters which included 900 persons questioned. According to this survey 60 percent of young people have detected some way of violence.

"One of the questions was whom would they speak to if they found themselves facing a problem and what worries me is that 30 percent of them wouldn't ask for help - not from their peers, their parents or an expert. Since the pride and resentment are very popular in our culture, there are many opportunities for manipulation." says Sivulka.

The victim often feels defeated, embarrassed and that is the feeling which stops them from asking for help. Being a victim or asking for help is not a disgrace and that should be a part of our conscience. When that happens, we will be at least one step closer to solving this problem.

Spiritual values ahead of material

"Love your children, take care of them, do not be too hard on them with every step on their way. Do not humiliate them, but do set boundaries.", says Kranjc.

"The wisdom is omitted today", she adds, but also a patience with children, imagination, tenderness, good manners, tolerance. Instead of trying to improve our material situation, we should improve our spiritual values. In the race for money, power, prestige, occasionally going to church just because we're supposed to, not because we truly believe, the society is sending the wrong message to children; we are confusing them by doing one thing and saying another and through all this we are losing them. They are looking for the way out, help, attention and lots of them are finding it in violence.

While chasing better tomorrow, we must consider the current situation and try to find a way for our children before they get into a situation when they have to look for us.


(Published: 10.01.2009.)