Causes of violence in children

Abstract

Violence is a part of children's day to day reality. Up to 18% of school-age children are being bullied at any one time (Olweus, 1989) and in many families and cultures corporal punishment is seen as not only acceptable but necessary (Straus & Donelly, 1993). Yet it is still regarded as surprising when children become the perpetrators of violence. This article will survey the individual and environmental factors suggested to be causative in the genesis of violence, considering for each what evidence supports the association with violence and by what mechanisms they may cause violence to occur.