"I was in the choir room and somebody came in and said, 'There's a gun!'

There were about 60 kids in there. About half left in a panic and half stayed there. I stuck my head out the door and I saw a gun barrel. I saw a teacher say 'Get down!' Then I saw the gun shoot, smoke came out of the barrel. A teacher fell into the lockers. I saw the teacher get shot and he was still trying to get the kids out of the hallway. As we go out, we see the legs of people and backpacks everywhere. When we walked outside, we stepped over two bodies. The cafeteria was flooded with water because the sprinklers went off. There were powder marks from guns on the walls, the doors were kicked in. We saw one kid lying on the stairs, and one was on the ground. They were just dead, purple, their eyes still open.'' - 18-year-old Adam Foss, a senior a Columbine High School describing what he saw on April 20, 1999.¹

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold brutally murdered 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives in the worst school shooting in history. Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., was added to the list of schools that have become war zones in a disturbing trend that has the nation - and the world - asking "Why?"

What causes kids to commit violent acts? It would be presumptuous to assume that we have all the answers. Each incident is different, and there are a number of variables that contribute to each individual act of violence. Meanwhile, we must remember that the vast majority of kids don't commit violent acts. It is safe to say, however, that any juvenile violence is disconcerting, and the recent string of brutal juvenile shootings and murders is especially heinous. The two killers in Littleton were reportedly laughing and chatting with one another as they shot their fellow students at point-blank range. ²

What could possibly cause a young person to come to this place? We have heard literally every possible explanation ranging from youth access to guns to mental disorders.

While every child is different and every situation is unique, research on violent juveniles has shown that there are at least three characteristics that emerge repeatedly:

• Spiritual emptiness
• A toxic social environment
• Family instability

When these three come together, they form a lethal mixture that is especially harmful to children. Only a small percentage of young persons react to this combination by committing a violent act, but a vast number of youth are acting out in other ways as they struggle to come to terms with what they consider to be an intolerable world.

Dr. James Garbarino, of Cornell University, has conducted numerous interviews with juvenile murderers over the years. In his book, "Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them," he shows that juveniles who act out violently share some common characteristics, primarily those mentioned above.³ What is clear from his research is that the problem is not primarily youth having access to guns. In fact, it is notable that the Columbine killers were planning to cause most of their destruction of human life by using a homemade pipe bomb attached to an ordinary, outdoor-grill propane tank. ⁴ The weapon of choice is not a "root" cause. Until we are ready to address the deeper issues, young persons will continue to act out violently, whether they choose to use a propane tank, a gun, a knife, a baseball bat or their fists.

Juvenile Violence

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Spiritual Emptiness

Part 3: Family Instability

Part 4: Toxic Society

About the Author

As the marriage and family policy analyst in the public policy division of Focus on the Family, John Thomas is involved in ongoing research and writing on issues that impact the family.

Endnotes

¹Diane Carmen, "What the Witnesses Saw," Denver Post On-line, April 21, 1999, www.denverpost.com/news/shot0420i.htm.

²Mike Anton, "Death Goes to School with Cold, Evil Laughter," Denver Rocky Mountain News, April 22, 1999, p. 2A.

³Dr. James Garbarino, Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them, (New York: The Free Press), 1999.

⁴Kevin Vaughan, "Gunmen Had it All Mapped Out," Denver Rocky Mountain News, April 25, 1999, p. 2AA.

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