A week or so ago, three juveniles shot and killed a 23-year old college baseball player living in Oklahoma from Australia because they “were bored.” A few days later, an 88-year old World War II veteran was beaten to death by teenagers for no apparent reason.
On top of all of that, Michael Brandon Hill, who went into the Georgia school with an AK-47, was only 20 years old. In Hill’s case, it appears he had serious mental issues, although I’m pretty sure you could make a case that all of these young men have serious mental issues.
What is the answer to all of these violent acts perpetrated by teenagers? Do we hold the parents accountable for the actions of their children? Is this a bigger problem today than it has been in the past?
These are the questions that jumped through my head upon hearing about these cases. I’m sure that most of us think, feel and believe that teenagers are out of control and that these incidents represent a growing and bigger problem today than in years past.
However, the overall crime rate for teenagers was 24 percent lower in 2010 than it was in 1980. Arrests for violent crimes mirrors that of overall crime, dropping 24 percent as well and falling a whopping 55 percent from its peak high in 1994.
All of that being said, teenagers in America are still three and a half times more likely to commit a crime than the average citizen. For whatever reason, between 1978 and 1994, the murder arrest rate rose an astonishing 177 percent. Since 1994, it has dropped every year with the exception of 2004.
So what gives?
I have to believe that family environment, how the child is being raised and by who are significant factors in all of this. However, this is simply not true. The numbers DO NOT show this. It is true that teenagers raised in father-absent homes have a significantly higher rate of incarceration.
The problem with sweeping indictments are that they do not take into consideration other factors. Children without fathers are much more likely to grow up in poverty. While married couples with children enjoy an average income of $80,000, single mothers average only $24,000. However, teen crime rates actually went down during the Great Recession.
When it comes to race, the numbers get more revealing. The majority of black children nationwide (54 percent) are being raised by single mothers. And when it comes to fatherless homes and the relation to poverty, the numbers get even starker. Only 12 percent of black families below the poverty line have both parents present, compared with 41 percent of Hispanic families and 32 percent of white families. In 39 states, the majority of black children do not live with both parents. Seventy percent of white children and most Hispanic children do.
All of these are interesting statistics but they do not necessarily show the real issue. To put it simply, while father-less households have doubled in the last two decades, teen crime rates have actually dropped.
Make no mistake, I am not advocating single-parent homes. I, personally, do not feel it’s ideal and I have made my feelings toward divorce made clear in this space before. My feeling is that many young men need a man in the house to hold the line as it were.
I was one of the boys that only understood the hammer and I suspect that there are more boys like that than are not. Ultimately, I think it’s a combination of solid parenting, community (meaning friends, adults with contact and authoritative figures) and expectations.
While many look at teens today and see what they want, I see a generation that reflects the schizophrenic society we live in today. I feel like while the bad kids may be worse than any generation prior, the good kids are outpacing those that came before them.
And one more thing, I hope they lock the offenders I spoke of above away and we will see how “bored” they get in federal prison.
Richard Clark is the universal desk chief for Halifax ENC. You can reach him at 910-219-8452 or at Richard.Clark@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @kpaws22.