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The Group Dynamics & Individual Factors of Teen Violence
Matthew
Silliman’s death has everyone thinking; how could such a
horrible crime be perpetrated by such young people? Four teenagers
allegedly
kidnapped, tortured, and killed Matthew, and he was thought to be their
friend.
A major issue brought to the forefront with this crime is the group
dynamic.
Would such as crime have been committed if one person objected? Would
one
person have committed this crime on their own?
There
are several major tenants of social psychology at play with
group crimes. Many of these phenomena are heightened in adolescents and
young
adults (12-21) given their general tendency to be concerned with how
others are
evaluating them, which is called evaluation
apprehension.
Being
around people in general arouses us. Heightened arousal
increases stress, which is called social
facilitation.
It we experience mild
to moderate levels of stress (like work or school) we may increase our
level of
performance. However, if there is a high level of stress (like pressure
from a
peer group to commit a crime), we tend to perform more poorly, i.e.,
our
decision-making is affected.
In
groups, people can experience a sense of deindividuation,
a loss of self-awareness and evaluation
apprehension. This occurs in group situations that foster
responsiveness to
group norms, whether they are good or bad. A notorious example is the
Rodney
King beating. This is, in part, because people feel more anonymous in a
group.
This diminished self-awareness disconnects one’s behavior
from one’s attitudes
or values. Another component is group
polarization, a group-produced enhancement of the
members’ preexisting
tendencies. This is a strengthening of the member’s average
tendency, not a
split within the group. In other words, not every person in the group
will have
a preexisting tendency towards crime. However, a risky
shift can occur where the group is willing to make a riskier
decision
than they would as individuals. Group consensus may occur and after
discussions
individuals also alter their ways of thinking about the situation often
because
they want to be accepted by others.
Group
think
is an
exaggerated example of this phenomenon. Group think occurs when an amiable,
cohesive group exists, there is relative
isolation of the group from dissenting viewpoints, and there exists a
directive
leader who signals what decision she or he favors. Several processes
occur
within the group:
·
They
tend to overestimate their invulnerability.
·
There
is an unquestioned belief in the group’s morality.
·
Group
members rationalize their decisions and behavior and
close off their minds to other possibilities.
·
They
tend to view their ‘opponent’ through stereotypes
that the other person is too weak or unintelligent to defend themselves
against
the planned initiative.
·
There
is pressure to conform to the group.
·
People
censor their disagreements which creates an
illusion of unanimity.
·
Some
members of the group become mindguards
and protect the group from information that would call
into question the effectiveness or mortality of its decisions.
Since
not all groups of people commit acts of violence, you still may
be asking, what happened? What
contributes to violence? While there are always several
reasons for someone
to become violent, there are some general conditions in most cases.
There tends
to be a pattern of interactions between genetics, temperament, the
family
system and socioeconomic level, the school and community environments.
Family
environments where there
is physical abuse,
sexual abuse, conflict in the home, and/or broken-families may
influence the
development of criminal behavior. These families tend to display
a lack of warmth, have limited involvement and supervision, and/or
inflict
harsh corporal, lax, or inconsistent discipline. Poor parent-child
relations,
antisocial parents, and rigid
traditional gender roles with patriarchal values has also been found to
contribute to the development of violent behavior.
Genetic
factors
such as low IQ
and being male contribute to being violent individuals.
Temperament
plays
a role such
that some people are more prone to have high needs for stimulation, to
learn
slowly from consequences, and do not feel as anxious when they are
doing things
wrong.
Individuals
with
few
economic resources are at higher
risk of both perpetrating and being victimized by physical violence.
Also, being
a member of an
ethnic
minority group, although this
is complicated with socioeconomic status in our country and related to
lack of
resources, also tends to elevate the chances of violence. This is
further
connected to criminal behavior, disorganization, and drug use in the community.
On
an individual
basis, there are warning signs of possible violent behavior. None of
these
alone suggests someone may be violent. Again, there is an interaction
between
the above mentioned risk factors and these behaviors.
1.
Low
school grades, school failure, and drop-out.
2.
Poor social
ties, delinquent peers,
and gang
involvement: The
most important factor that distinguishes a gang from a healthy
group of friends is the violent, criminal behavior of the members, for
example
some illicit drug activities. If a young male is involved with a gang,
he will
likely be violent along with other gang members.
3.
Restlessness
and difficulty
concentrating – Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder can
be a precursor to
antisocial behavior.
4.
Risk taking
such as reckless
driving.
5.
Substance use
– Alcohol and
marijuana are just as dangerous as other drug use.
6.
Victimization
by
others.
7.
Early sexual
activity.
8.
Conduct
disorder which is
characterized by:
a.
Aggression
toward people and animals
b.
Destruction
of property
c.
Deceitfulness
or theft
d.
Serious
violations of rules
If you,
or someone you know, have concerns about an adolescent, it is always a
good
idea to seek a consultation from a psychologist who specializes in
teenagers. In
particular, if your concern is that the teen may be prone to violence,
is spending
time with other teens that engage in violence, or is engaging in
violent
behavior him or herself, be sure to choose a psychologist experienced
with
delinquent teenagers and juvenile delinquency diversion.
Early
intervention can be key in preventing escalating juvenile delinquent
behavior
and adult criminal behavior, and studies have shown therapy to be
effective
even when the adolescent or adult does not want to go (such as when
parents
make a child go or when the courts order therapy).
References:
Myers,
D.G. (2002). Social Psychology (7th
Edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
Glicken,
M.D. (2004). Violent Young Children. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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