| Why do teens become violent? | | | | band together. This is exactly what humans did |
| A few weeks ago I was watching a show on the | | | | before fixed societies became the norm. Humans |
| evolution of human culture. It was describing how | | | | banded together to become more effective at |
| different the societal rules were for cultures that | | | | obtaining resources. This leads to territorial behavior in |
| were nomadic "Hunter/Gatherers" vs cultures which | | | | an attempt to preserve the resources that they |
| had established fixed locations and had shifted to | | | | control. |
| being based on agriculture, raising crops and | | | | One major difference that I see between early |
| domesticated animals. | | | | nomadic humans and today's disenfranchised youth is |
| When an individual is living in a "Hunter/Gatherer" | | | | that the early nomadic humans were unaware of the |
| society, they operate in survival mode. They have no | | | | rules/laws of fixed society. Today's youth are aware |
| means for preserving resources, so all resources are | | | | of the rules/laws, but since they feel rejected by the |
| consumed as soon as they are found. The time of | | | | society that established those rules they do not feel |
| these individuals is spent in the pursuit of resources, | | | | bound by them. In fact, they tend to resent those |
| they do not recognize "ownership" in the same | | | | laws because they know that the fixed society is |
| manner as those in fixed societies. When a resource | | | | better solution, it just hasn't worked for them. |
| is discovered, it is shared amongst those there at the | | | | When I realized this, I stopped thinking of people as |
| time, and when all resources are consumed, its time | | | | being bad or good. Circumstances are just dictating |
| to move to a new location. Only when a person is | | | | that people live by different sets of rules. |
| part of a fixed society do laws of ownership and | | | | So, is there any way to change the pattern back and |
| conduct apply. | | | | get a consistent set of rules that apply to everyone. |
| What I saw was a striking description of what is | | | | It is possible, but not easy. How do we convince the |
| happening to many of our youth today. When a | | | | disenfranchised person that there is a place in fixed |
| young person is deprived of the benefits of a | | | | society? We must recognize that they are not bound |
| settlement culture, (adequate food, shelter, security) | | | | by the rules of fixed society and offer to them the |
| they resort to the rules of the hunter gatherer. At | | | | resources that they desire. Just as nomads eventually |
| this point the rules/laws of the rest of society are no | | | | settled into a fixed agrarian society, these individuals |
| longer applicable or relevant to the individual. They | | | | will conform to the rules of fixed society when they |
| are in the pursuit of resources and their focus is on | | | | see that the resources offered to them by the fixed |
| surviving. | | | | society are available to them and exceed the |
| Isn't it curious that the young people who fall back | | | | resources available to them as "hunter/gatherers". |
| into this "hunter/gatherer" mentality also tend to | | | | This is exactly what our program aspires to do. |