“The United States is one of the most violent nations in the world. More than three-fourths of Americans are victims of some kind of violence during their lifetimes, and more than 90 percent will witness some kind of violence” (Lauer, R.H. & Lauer, J.C., 2008). We, as Americans, are subjected to some of the most violent entertainment in the world. We tend to watch movies and television shows that have a violent plot, have a sexual theme, or deals with some type of killing. There are many things that influence violence including social/peer/media pressure, drugs and alcohol, and family situations to name a few. Even with so many factors to violence as a whole, what is the definition to violence? And, why does it play such a huge role in American culture? What are the typical causes? What is seen as the usual conditions associated with the social problems? What are the typical consequences of committing a violent crime? Are there any solutions to this problem? Are there any strengths or weaknesses to these proposed solutions? As a nation, we have the highest incarceration rate in the world. Why is this? What are some of the problems with the current prison system? Before we can talk about what some of the causes and things that influence violence, we must first discuss what violence is.
Violence can mean so many things to so many people, but what is the definition of violence defined by our text? Violence, in general, implies the use of force to kill, injure, or abuse others (Lauer, R.H., & Lauer, J.C., 2008). Types of violence include rape, murder, riots, beatings, violent demonstrations, and terrorist activities to name a few. One of the statistics that caught my eye is that the highest rate of nonfatal violent victimizations each year occurs among youths between the ages of 16 and 19. This rate is 2.5 times higher than that of people aged 35 to 49 (Lauer, R.H. & Lauer, J.C., 2008). The reason for this is because of the changes in life...