NCJ Number
147609
Journal
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1963) Pages: 29-37
Date Published
1963
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article identifies the causes of juvenile gang violence and suggests a general strategy for countering them.
Abstract
The author's basic theory of juvenile gang violence derives from Hannah Arendt's statement that "The vehement yearning for violence is a natural reaction of those whom society has tried to cheat of their strength." Building on this concept, the article theorizes that juvenile violence is the physical manifestation of the emotional condition called rage. Rage, in turn, is the product of deep deprivation, of not getting something that is desired intensely and perhaps needed. Juvenile gang violence stems from a collective rage generated by the deprivation of success, authority, and the future. This condition is due to the conflict between our value system and our social system. The former does not give us a moral vocabulary that justifies what the latter requires. The result is a pervasive malaise, a sense of betrayal, and a mistrust in the promises and demands of the social system. The primary task required to resolve this conflict is the development of "positive utopian thought, which projects visions of a noble future worth working toward." 7 references