Introduction
Violence is a public health issue that negatively affects the youth and those around them. Homicide rates among teenagers and young adults are increasingly rising with the youth being the victim, perpetrators or witnesses. Various violence incidents among the youth have significant emotional harm than physical harm that may contribute to severe injuries or death. Homicide cases across the country have been carried out by young people that are consumed by feelings of loneliness and bond over the idea of being alienated. As a result, these groups of teenagers gain their strength and feelings of inclusion by shutting themselves from the rest of the world. In most cases of homicide crimes, there is always a leader – who is the most disaffected youth that implements a revenge plan against the world while the rest follow along with the plan because they fear being rejected.
The social learning theory describes one's identity to be as a result of their learned response to the social stimuli. Thus, it focuses on the social context of individual socialization and opposed to their mind. Young adults that carry out homicides tend to view this as an act that strengthens their bond – by accepting this as a shared sense of control, empowerment, courage, and risk-taking. The social learning theory consists of four central characteristics; definitions, imitation, differential association and differential reinforcements (Akers, Sellers, & Jennings, 2017). According to Akers et al. (2017), imitation is the act of engaging in behavior after observing similar behaviors in those around you. Therefore, young people that engage in senseless killings do this as a behavioral response that is associated with their environment. For instance, young adults that carry out homicides do this as an act of proving themselves to their peers. In some instances, this is viewed as an initiation ritual to gangs – that makes them reassured that they are all bonded intimately through the acts of violence they commit. Thus, in most instances, most of these young adults would rather risk spending the rest of their lives in prison rather than feel excluded by their peers.
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The second characteristic of social learning theory is defined as an individual's attitudes and beliefs that they associate with certain behaviors (Akers et al., 2017). For instance, young adults that engage in violent behavior act out due to feelings of being unhappy or secluded, thus, perceive this as a way of uniting them to their peers. Thus, the environment that the youth are exposed to influence the outcome of their behavior resulting in some of the violent acts witnessed. This explains the differential association characteristic which refers to the idea that people are exposed to different people and varying attitudes and values throughout their lives (Akers et al., 2017). Therefore, in social environments whereby the youth are surrounded by gang-related violence, there is a high rate homicide and violence among adolescents. This results in differential reinforcement in which the perpetrator anticipates rewards or punishments for their behavior. The rewards may be recognition by the perpetrator's peers whereas punishment is facing criminal charges.
The behavioral theory suggests that human behavior is learned through their interactions with the social environment. Behaviorists assert that people are not born with violent behavior – however, they learn adopt violent behavior through their daily interactions (Akers and Sellers, 2004). For instance, young people who carry out homicide learn to think and act violently by observing how friends or relatives are rewarded for violent behavior or observe how media outlets glorify violence. Adolescents that grow up in violent neighborhoods observe how gangs gain power and control through their violent acts and behavior – thus, start emulating these violent behaviors. Additionally, aggressive children tend to emulate the violent behaviors of their parents or guardians and model it into their adult life.
There are several factors which act as a stimulus and trigger a young person to involve themselves in criminal acts. Behavioral theorists argue that the following four factors stimulate violence; a stressful event that heightens arousal, aggressive skills that is learned by observing others, the notion that violence or aggression is a socially acceptable behavior that can be rewarded and the existence of value systems that promote violent acts in certain social contexts (Bartol, 2002). Therefore, adolescents and young adults are likely to adopt aggressive and violent behavior from their surroundings.
Conclusion
Behavioral theory directly contributes to the development of social learning theory as a learning aspect that fosters criminal acts. Human violence is directly attributed to the social context of a person's environment and the existing stimulus that influence them to act or think violently. Thus, the high rate of homicide among the youth as victims and perpetrators is associated with their immediate upbringing. Furthermore, young people physical and mental struggles that might push them to a violent manner as a form of expression. Hence, acts of senseless killings are beyond an individual's behavior, and the community has a responsibility to examine its contribution to how the youth act in an aggressive manner.
References
Akers, R. L., Sellers, C. S., & Jennings, W. G. (2017). Criminological theories: Introduction, evaluation and application (7th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Akers, R.L. and C.S. Sellers. (2004). Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application (4 th ed). Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing.
Bartol, Curt. (2002). Criminal Behaviour: A Psychological Approach . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
