I think one of the most common causes of violence is gangs. Youth today join gangs for a variety of reasons. Some youth are in search of love, structure, and discipline. Some search for a sense of belonging and commitment. Others want recognition and power or a sense of self worth and status. Nevertheless, I think the most common reason is acceptance. Everyone wants to be accepted in society.
I think another cause of youth violence is substance abuse. Substance abuse causes people to act in an unpredictable manner. When an individual is acting under the influence of drugs, he or she may do things unknowingly. Due to the drug, the individual may be acting on impulse or feelings and may not be aware of the consequences of their actions.
Poverty can be another cause of violence. A youth may not have food or clothes to wear and their parents cannot provide for them. These conditions may in some cases force youth to provide for themselves. They may resort to stealing or other criminal activities that they would not normally do.
In conclusion, youth violence is a big problem in the United States. I feel that the causes for this recent increase in violence are not hard to fix. I think that if more youth organizations were developed, youth would have more constructive things to do than walk around in the streets. These youth organizations keep youth out of trouble and give them good examples to follow throughout life.