SURREY (NEWS1130) - Why are some kids more violent than others? The preliminary findings of a local study has revealed some answers, after conducting a survey of 400 grade 8 students.
Researchers at Kwantlen and Simon Fraser universities discovered boys between the ages of 12 and 14 who have high self-esteem and a sense of gratitude are less likely to fight.
Lead researcher Dr. Roger Tweed says the challenge now is to find ways to build those traits in all children. "We don't want to go on to blame these kids now and say 'ok, the kids who are violent are lacking in these things.' The thing we're starting to find out is that these traits matter, and the next step is to look at what builds these traits. What can we do for kids to help build these things up?"
He believes the findings point to the need for schools to focus on building their students' self-confidence.
"There are some programs that do that kind of thing. For example,
Strengths Gym that's coming out of Guernsey (in the UK). They're working on strategies for building these strengths in kids."
The
study is part of a broader look at why young people gravitate to gangs, prompted by the increase in local gang activity over the last decade.