The nine deadliest mass shootings since 2018 have involved six people under the age of 21; Experts warn that this age group shows a lack of social care
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Simultaneously with the United States Among young people facing a mental health crisis — more than 37% of high school students have had problems most of the time during the Covid19 pandemic, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — they also find themselves with another chaos that is gradually taking hold in society: the changing profile of shooters who carry out attacks. Although there is no specific one and it is difficult to track down, the constant attacks are increasing epidemic of gun violence in the country were conducted by persons under the age of 21. According to a report by The New York Times, of the nine deadliest shootings in the United States since 2018, six had people in this age group as characters. Before the 2000s, attacks were often initiated by men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Although experts report that there is no link between the mental health crisis among young people and the increase in the number of people under the age of 21 committing these attacks, they draw attention to a problem that exists in the world: the lack of attention to this part of the population. This fact, along with the uncertainties of the future, the Covid19 pandemic and the use of social media are some of the reasons cited by experts as why young people tend to become involved in violent assaults when they are not is simple and unique explanation. Frank T. McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College who studies mass shootings, reports that “most mass shootings have always been committed by young men,” but points out that “the median age has apparently been lower in recent years.” “.
Robert E. “Bobby”, 22, killed seven people and injured 30 in a shooting in Highland Park during July Fourth celebrations.
The Doctor of Psychology, Luiz Mafle, explains that at this moment people are in limbo because “they no longer identify as children, but they also do not consider themselves as adults”, leading society to believe that this moment is the Indecisiveness is just a phase and soon it will pass, but often they need help and lack attention because no one is looking at them. Mafle explains that young people are in this phase without expectations, especially in the current time in which we are going through the Covid19 pandemic and are facing “war, rising inflation, lack of employment”. contributes to the fact that people do not have a “perception of what the future will be”.
The two years imprisonment due to the coronavirus influenced behavior and this could be an explanation for the increase in shootings carried out by young people, since at this moment of development the person wants to be part of a group, and with the pandemic , according to Mafle , they were “denied this space of direct togetherness”, which meant that many lost the “possibility of knowing who I am and of experimenting”. The isolation has increased the “tension and fears”. Igor Lucena, Doctor of International Relations, complements this thought by saying that young people have an enormous desire to belong to a group and this “selfaffirmation in society can make them the biggest victims of radicalization and turn thoughts into radical attitudes “. Mafle says that since these crimes committed by young people are not isolated cases but occur repeatedly, they are a cry of despair. “When we see that often, “it’s a sign that a generation is crying out for help.”
Mass Shooting Highland Park 6 dead, 24 injured preliminary round
309th mass shooting in 2022
15. Mass Murder 2022Snapshot of all mass murders with over 20 victims pic.twitter.com/U3ZuhpvUCV
The Gun Violence Archive (@GunDeaths) July 4, 2022
Although this problem is constant for both men and women, men are the most susceptible and there are a few explanations for this. The psychologist Vanessa Gebrim names the machismo established in society as one of the main factors. “It’s part of the culture we live in,” he says. McAndrew adds that this problem is rooted in “our evolutionary past,” when “men had to fight bitterly for status, dominance, and respect without which they could hardly attract and keep mates.” In this way, when young men who feel like losers are not respected, “they feel particularly strong negative emotions”, which generates “envy and anger”. The fact that they don’t seek help makes tracking their issues much more complicated.
Gebrim says this “affects behavior and makes them more prone to committing that crime” and warns that this lack of followup ultimately makes it harder to “diagnose any disorder the person may have.” That’s why Mafle warns when a man asks for help “because he’s nervous.” Experts say one way to contain this situation is with public power. “We need to make a stronger policy, something more dominant, to ensure that young people are adequately supported,” stresses Gebrim, citing that this issue involves “political, economic and social” problems and “harms the least fortunate”. Mafle says it is necessary to have policies that offer jobs to young people so that they can live well, but points out that this is not just a problem for the government to solve. “Public politics is not far from my mind, it is also my duty,” concludes Mafle.
In addition to young people, gun violence in the United States is also increasing in the country. In 2022 alone, 309 mass shootings and 15 mass murders were recorded from January through July, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a research group that catalogs all incidents of gun violence in the United States. This problem is related to the easy access to weapons in the country. In a bid to reduce cases, US President Joe Biden signed legislation, the most important in almost 30 years, putting new restrictions on owning and buying weapons — the largest of which is criminal background checks — and earmarks billions of dollars for mental health and school safety. Orion Noda, a professor of international relations, said the initiative was “a step forward that few expected because guns are part of American culture,” but it was something important. For Noda, this financial stimulus is “a way to get the states that are less likely to vote to pass this legislation.”