Thoughts from Youth: on consequences

Violence can cause a lot of damage in our world. It creates chaos in our communities. Children, teens, and adults don't realize that violence has affected them and others around them painfully, both physically and mentally. Not only do we see violence, but we experience it ourselves by having loved ones dead because of experiences of violence and having friends become suspects and victims at an early age. Once a person commits violence or any type of crime, they think of it as the end of the world for them because they know that what they did was wrong. They think that there is nothing that they can do but run away and never come back to the place where the crime was done because of investigations. Some people don't think about what will happen to them because they are too involved in violence that it never entered their minds what would happen if they ended up in prison. 

As violence enters the mind, it makes people crazy and creates debates on life such as "how could a person do such a crime like rape?" How can a person rape a teen, child, or even another adult and think that it is okay? I think that rape is the worst thing a person could do to someone because it messes with the victim's brain, especially when they are young. Being raped at a young age causes them to never fully experience life because they are haunted by what happened to them when they wre younger. My family and I never experienced anything like that, but I do have some friends that experienced rape and other violence in their life. Another violent act is domestic violence. This happens everywhere at every hour and people may not find out about it for weeks or even months. Domestic violence is a term that is described as "physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse." This type of violence can occur everywhere, among both heterosexual or same sex couples, and does not require intimacy. There are many different types of domestic violence, which include merely threats of force or violence. This violence shows a problem in a relationship. Depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep disturbances, and fear of intimacy are signs that a person has been a victim. Any type of violence can put people through misery for the rest of their lives.

Contributed by NB, age 17