Savages
Savages
Filipinos are known to be respectful towards the elderly, they are obedient to their parents, and are hospitable. But in contrast to the common belief, many teenagers are getting barbaric nowadays.
Every year, tons of cases involving youth violence appear in
the social media and the news. Study done by United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) shows that 8 in 10 Filipino children and adolescents are in danger of
being sexually abused online or bullied while 5 in 10 think friends participate
in risky behaviours while using the internet. Unfortunately, the perpetrators
are both adults and the youth themselves.
The propensity to be violent which resides in oneself causes
the person to commit violent acts. According to Worldwide Alternatives to
Violence, the triggers of violence done by the youth can be personal factor or
a product from social factors. Others are alcohol consumption, violence saw in
the media, overcrowding, and discrimination.
Because of the influence of social media, teenagers engage
in unethical actions like premarital intercourse and re-enactment of violence
shown in television and websites. This led them to think that what they do is
trendy and what they see is reality. In addition to this, bullying evolved into
a more widespread harassment, covering over 80% of young teens in the
Philippines according to a survey done by child-care non-profit Stairway
Foundation Inc.
Alcohol addiction is also common to minors that interferes
with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks
and works. These disruptions can change mood and behaviour and make it harder
to think clearly thus resulting to explosive temper tantrums, physical
aggression, fighting, threats, and retaliation. In fact, 14% of 15-24 year olds
reported physical injury through violence associated with drinking.
Discrimination and depression play a big part in violence.
If depression further continues, it can result to the attempt to commit violent
acts in order to end suffering. Who could forget the story of a 15-year old
student in Cagayan de Oro who stabbed and killed his own teacher inside their
classroom after being scolded? The student said that he lost his cool, stood up
from his seat and attacked the unsuspecting teacher at the back. The same with
a grade 6 student who was often bullied, his mind blacked out and impaled the
bully in the head resulting to death.
All of these show how violent kids can be, from simple
mimicry of what they see to lifelong regretful actions like killing peers. What
they see is what they do. But what they did cannot be undone.
The parents must be responsible in ensuring that the
children are away from any hostility and violence. They form attachment to them
by spending time with them and avoiding harsh punishments whenever they commit
mistakes. Also, laws should be empowered concerning these problems by limiting
the use of social media, prohibiting alcohol abuse, curfew for the minors, and
preventive measures to control the impact of TV shows and other media to the
mind of the youth. Everyone should take conscious effort to improve the
country’s social conditions simply because there is no room in our society for
violence.
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