Understanding Violence: Causes And Possible Solutions

Today, violence has become the order of the day. The complexities of violence have made their way into countries- developed, underdeveloped, and developing countries- causing havoc, deaths, and destruction of properties. It has also led to the downfall of economies. Moreover, every day, violence finds its way into families. I remember my mom telling me a story of a patient who was brought to her ward. The father of the house woke up very angry and was looking for his cell phone. Unfortunately, the mother wasn't in the house. He assumed that his son had taken it, so he chased him down the road and the son got hit by a bike. Only for him to find out that his cell phone was in his pocket all along. Instead of people tackling the roots of violence, they blame it on the devil. For today's Hive learners prompt, we are asked to share our thoughts on the complexities of violence. What are the causes of violence? How can we tackle these problems?

It is true that violence is shown in many places, such as movies, games, books, and even in our daily lives. Now, the big question is: can this constant exposure to violence be a reason why violence in the world keeps getting worse? There is no single cause for the increasing violence in the world, however, while I agree that violent exposure to media has also contributed to it, it is not the leading cause. Let’s analyze this properly. Violence has existed throughout human history, way before the development of movies and video games. Let’s use the First World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945) as case studies. During this time, although there were theater plays that showed violence, there were no video games or movies that promoted violence. Yet, countries were destroyed, people were killed and properties were burnt to ashes. According to my research, during the First World War, it is estimated that around 35 million people lost their lives, while in the Second World War, it is estimated that over 75 million people lost their lives.

With this, it is evident that violence has been in existence even before the advent of video games and movies. So, does that mean the movies we watch, books we read and video games do not have a hand to play in the increasing violence around the world? Well, I am of the school of thought that while this might not be the leading cause, people, especially children, need to be careful about the things they consume. For example, a child who watches wrestling might want to try the Randy Orton knockout or Roman Reigns hook with his friends. This is where parents come in. It is the duty of the parents to guide their children and monitor the things they consume.

Moving on, another leading cause of violence is poverty. Every day, we hear news of people robbing banks and houses, looting, and fighting one another, and when we take a closer look at this, the leading cause of this is poverty. Many underdeveloped countries are in shambles, especially when the government and oppressors have taken control of everything, and are now making life hell for citizens. How do you expect people at the bottom of the chain to survive when the price of goods and services skyrockets and no one is doing anything about it? Most people would resort to stealing from minor places, then moving on to bigger places like banks, and worst still, they might even kill to get what they want.

To tackle this issue, the first step to take is to address it from the grassroots level - the family. When parents notice that their child has started to exhibit symptoms of violence, they should act quickly. Don’t let your child become a fully fledged Randy Orton before you do something about it. There are tendencies that may indicate a child is prone to violence, such as bullying their peers. Parents should not overlook this behavior but should address it before the issue gets out of hand. Another way to tackle violence lies in the hands of the government. Once the government puts measures in place and people see no reason to loot and steal, violence will decrease.

Thanks for reading.