Today’s Youth Between Violence and Peace

Today’s Youth Between Violence and Peace

Hasan Al-Sameer – Bosra 

Everyone is banking on a youth filled with vitality and activity, imbued with vigor and passion. They are seen as capable of ushering in change towards a better tomorrow, far from all this violence after a war that lasted for more than eleven years, leaving behind a lot of destruction not only in infrastructure but also affecting the youth. Today’s youth are the most perplexed in decisions and the intricacies of life, surrounded by risks, challenges, and difficulties from every angle.

In Bosra al-Sham, manifestations of this violence have spread significantly. Incidents of various types of murder, an increase in kidnapping cases, the proliferation of thuggery, and domestic violence among the youth and their parents, siblings, neighbors, and people around them, as well as violence in schools. It has become a phenomenon that requires examining its causes and ways to address it.

Among the causes of this violence is domestic violence, manifested in severe beatings of children, constant rebuke, humiliation, a lack of words of encouragement, praise, and sometimes assigning unbearable tasks. Some parents attempt to force their children to achieve what they failed to achieve, such as forcing them into a specific behavior or studying a specific field against their inclinations. This violence may come from one or both parents, resulting from their upbringing or inherited from it. The parent becomes violent, dealing with their children as they were dealt with. Also, incorrect culture and misunderstanding, with the father thinking that toughness in dealing is a sign of manhood.

Unemployment has also had a significant impact on the increase in violence, leading to a reduction in the individual’s personal income, affecting their ability to meet their needs and live with dignity. High unemployment rates have reduced economic activity in society, increasing the cost of government support and reducing tax revenues. Unemployment also reduces the social and economic contribution of individuals, increases poverty and deprivation, and sometimes leads to crime and violence, affecting individuals’ mental health, causing frustration, helplessness, and despair, leading to depression and anxiety.

Modern technology has also had a negative impact on society. Most young people spend most of their time behind the screens of their phones and internet devices, living in a virtual world and complete isolation from the reality in which people live. This limits individuals’ abilities and skills in communicating with society.

These are some of the reasons that have led to the phenomenon of violence among young people. Without a doubt, addressing these causes and promoting an educational culture among parents, educators, and teachers on how to deal with and guide young people away from harshness and violence is essential. Promoting concepts of love, compassion, understanding, rejecting extremism, and supporting intellectuals away from violence is crucial.

It is also incumbent on the responsible authorities to provide job opportunities for young people and help them start their own projects to prove their presence in all fields. Building clubs for young people to engage in beneficial sports and spreading many educational lectures to help young people define their goals. Listening to the youth in defining their goals is also essential.

No society can progress except through the hands of the youth, as they are the active element in building any society. Therefore, working to discover the problems of youth and heading towards solving them is one of the most important steps any nation needs. Understanding the core of development and peace.