The direct correlation between increasing youth depression and violence This composition founds a bettor inclusion of youth wildness including its impact and causes. Besides the essay instances the ve

Introduction

Nowadays it is common to come across the news on youth violence on a daily basis in the US as well as other parts of the world. Every day scores of youngsters either inflict violence through different acts or fall prey to such acts. Moreover, the instances of depression and anxiety in young children have increased manifold in the past few years. DIfferent research organizations including the World Health Organization suggest that depression can lead to suicidal tendencies. Besides, depression can also lead to provocation of aggression and different violent behaviors in youth. Therefore, there seems to be a direct correlation between depression or mental illness and the exhibition of violence in the behavior of youngsters. Depression may not be the only leading cause of youth violence but it certainly is one of the prime factors. In the subsequent paragraphs, this essay delves deeper into the role of depression in widespread youth violence.

Body

All human beings are emotionally vulnerable and are equally likely to feel emotional stress at times. However, depression is a lot different from fluctuations in mood or short-lived emotional reactions. Depression is a form of mental illness that can be chronic and can reach a severe intensity in some individuals. To simply define, depression is a disorder of mental health that is characterized by prolonged depressed mood or absence of interest in day to day activities. Talking about the causes of depression, they can vary between various psychological or social origins of distress. To add, a person suffering from depression can also contract other health risks and fatal diseases. In fact, depression is the leading cause of suicide in youngsters that is a form of self-imposed violence. More than 800,000 people die each year because of suicides and it is the second major cause for deaths in the 15-29 age group. Moreover, youth violence is defined as the intended use of physical force or dominance to threaten, harm, or molest others by youngsters between 10 and 24 years of age. The acts of youth violence include homicides, rapes, physical assault, sexual assault, bullying, self-harm, and other kinds of physical or sexual violence. Besides, violence in youngsters can also be psychological with the intention of taking control of someone’s emotional or mental state. Now, because depression is very common in this age group of 10-24, there is a direct relationship between it and violence in youth.

Probing further, there is research-based evidence that shows the contribution of teen depression is an increased risk of violence in youngsters. A journal by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends that depression hikes the risk of violence. The research discovered that around 7 percent of depressed people in Finland were convicted of one or more violent criminal acts. On the other hand, this percentage was around 3.5 percent in people who did not have depression. So, it is well established that individuals or youngsters battling depression are far more likely to indulge in violence. Furthermore, in juvenile detention centers, one in every ten boys is depressed while one in every three girls is suffering from it. This research is fundamental in proving two imperative aspects related to depression and mental illness. On one hand, it highlights the consequences of undetected depression on teenagers and adolescents. Besides, it backs the assertion that depression can lead to violent behaviors in youth.

("Teen depression increases risk for violence: These findings emphasize the need for early detection and intervention", 2020)

Besides, violence in youngsters can also be psychological with the intention of taking control of someone’s emotional or mental state. Now, depression can be a cause as well as a consequence of youth violence. For instance, a depressed person can commit a criminal act like assault or rape because of violent behavior instigated by mental illness. Further, such an act inflicted on a person can lead to trauma and intense stress hence pushing the victim into depression. Therefore an act of violence can be provoked from depression and also lead the victim to chronic depression. It is for real that violent acts like sexual harassment or bullying can cause post-traumatic stress disorders in young victims. So, it is vital that the responses to youth violence should also include collective responses to depression.

Talking about solutions, all nations, as well as international organizations, now identify youth violence as a major threat to social harmony. Governments should realize that resolving the peculiar problem of depression in young people is also a key measure in the direction of mitigating youth violence. In addition to making the gun laws more stringent and checking the consumption of drugs and alcohol in youth, providing efficient help to depressed youngsters is also vital. In most cases, depression in youngsters or children goes undiagnosed or youngsters do not want to speak out. This is the case because, in most civil societies, there still exists a stigma around mental illness. People suffering from depression do not confide in others including even their own parents to share their feelings and deplorable states of mind. Thus, depression when remains undetected or untreated, leads to the instigation of violence and outrage. Therefore, when governments make practical policies to resolve youth violence, they should also include mental health assistance as a key factor. Governments and schools should provide counseling and social development assistance to students. By doing so, one of the leading causes of youth violence can be negated. In addition parents and society should accept that mental illness is a real issue and various sorts of burdens on children can deteriorate their mental health beyond repair.

To sum it up, it can be concluded that depression is one of the leading factors in rising youth violence. Depression in youngsters can provoke unusual behaviors that can be harmful to them and others. Further, violent acts like sexual abuse, rapes, and homicides are on the rise. In some cases, depression may be the driving force between these heinous crimes. Therefore, in the wake of the rising violence in youth, there is a larger need to address the problems of depression and other mental disorders. If society can be more accepting of mental health issues, those who have depression can be helped at the early stages. In this way, a large proportion of violent acts involving young culprits can be averted.