Poverty doesn't breed violence.
Neither does mental illness, race or poor education.
People become violent because they are taught violence by their parents, friends and society at large, say two Kansas City psychologists who have spent the last nine years studying the issue."With rare exceptions, violence is a learned behavior," said William O'Connor of the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Foundation. "People learn it from their parents and care-givers and from society, from preschool on."
The implication of the findings, O'Connor said, is that violence can be prevented by re-educating parents and by teaching violent people other ways to behave.
"If we maintain the mentality that there's this small group that's innately violent and we can put them away, that's just not going to work," O'Connor said.
"We're going to have to recognize that each and every person born has to learn about violence to be violent. But attitudes can be changed. And what can't be done in the family can be attempted in other surroundings."
O'Connor will be giving the first detailed public presentation of his research Friday to a group of area mental health officials. The two researchers intend to publish their findings later this year.
They found among the factors most likely to make someone violent:
- A family history of domestic violence or child abuse.
- Parents who were alcohol or drug abusers, involved in criminal activity or mentally ill.
- Involvement with juvenile delinquent peers during childhood or adolescence.