A recent shooting in Flint that leaves a 15-year-old facing murder charges has brought needed attention to the issues of violence, gunplay, crime and respect in youth culture. Unfortunately, those discussions seem to be only taking place in Flint itself, with surrounding areas seeing the news reports and letting out a collective, “Thank God that kind of stuff doesn’t happen here.”
This shooting, and others in Flint involving people who are teens or younger, is simply chalked up to the area in which they have taken place — the inner-city, under-policed, low-income environment naturally breeds more violence. This may be the case when someone who is hungry steals a loaf of bread from the corner store. When kids not even old enough to drive are being charged with murder, I can’t buy the environment argument.
Violence among youths may be compounded in inner cities because of access to firearms, a lack of supervision and short-staffed law enforcement, but teens who act out violently do so for similar reasons — whether they live in Flint or Bloomfield Hills.
Not all teens are inclined to behave violently, but those who are do so largely for one reason: the perception that physical toughness and the ability to exert one’s will on another earns respect.
In the months that follow, there are sure to be numerous theories posited about the causes for shootings like the ones that have happened in Flint. Popular culture elements, particularly within Hip Hop culture, are sure to get more than one accusatory finger pointed their way.
I cannot say whether I can truly believe those indictments. I do know, however, that a basic element of our society’s character, particularly among young people, is the notion that respect can be earned by degrading or beating other people. If this wasn’t the case, World Wrestling Entertainment would not boast two of the most watched shows on cable, 50 Cent would not be a multi-platinum artist, Jerry Springer would not be a household name and cable news networks would not be littered with cranks who think bolstering their own argument has little to do with merit and everything to do with demeaning those who have a contrary view. If we did not consume this garbage, this garbage would not exist.
People like to believe that there are no students in Grand Blanc or Goodrich or Flushing or Davison or any of the other perceived “safe” suburbs that harbor the same resentment toward authority, the same struggle to find an identity and the same belief that if respect is not given, it is acceptable to use violence to earn it.
Two kids in a Colorado suburb had those feelings, coupled with easy access to weapons, and were responsible for the worst school massacre in our nation’s history.
Every school district needs to have the same discussions — not only about youth violence, but about respect, anger, acceptance of others and crime — that many stakeholders in the Flint school system are forced to confront right now.
Suburban schools may be physically safer as a result of Columbine, but there is no doubt that a growing number of kids in both urban and suburban districts see violence as a viable tool for teenage rebellion.
Every area that has not had youth crimes and tragedies on this scale is right to be thankful, yet just because the suburban and inner-city worlds are different on the exterior, discussions about how to counteract violence have merit everywhere.

More Tips