Risk Factors Of Youth Violence In Los Angeles

The number of youth violence is staggering and one must understand the risk factors that leads the youth in Los Angeles to commit violence. The second step program addresses that risk factors that lead to youth violence in Los Angeles. Some of these risk factors include prior history of violence, drug, tobacco and alcohol use, associating with delinquent peers, poor family structure, poor grades in school, lack of school involvement, lack of parent supervision, and poverty in the community (CDC, 2014). The World Health Organization separates the risk factors of violence and youth into individual factors and influences by families and peers. Some of the individual factors are associated with the youth’s behavior and personality. They list the following, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, poor behavioral control, attention problems, history of aggressive behavior and low educational achievement. Some of the family and peer risk factors that were not mentioned by the CDC are, harsh physical punishment to discipline children, parental conflict in early childhood, poor attachment between parent and child and teen parents. In regards to peers some of the risk factors are, gangs, availability of weapons

Drug, tobacco and alcohol use is a serious risk factor to youth. The CDC reports that youth drinking, tobacco and drug use increases the risk of violence. Youth that participate in ATOD are less likely to follow rules and therefore it may lead them to participate in violence. Studies show that drunkenness is very essential as it can easily lead to violence because of the way that people react to alcohol (WHO,201) The individual risk factors that WHO provided are related to the way child grows and behaves. Those risk factors can be examined by the parents and teachers that get to know the