Troubled Twenty-Somethings: Worst shootings in recent history were committed by America’s youth

Alex Lloyd | Assistant Opinion Editor

Let me start off by saying that the purpose of this article is not to convince, but to convey. I do not have the answers; my intentions are to incite opinions and discussion, perhaps outrage or even simple curiosity. There appears to be a rising trend that we need to start becoming increasingly aware of and, perhaps, the responsibility of assessment and prevention should fall on our generation.

Despite statistics, there has been an undeniable shift in the age group of mass murderers in  the last decade. Studies show that mass murderers are typically middle-aged men, but there is now a steady trend to challenge such studies. Recently, it’s been observed that men in their early twenties are more frequently the sources of these heinous crimes. 

According to Time‘s “Worst Mass Shootings of the Last 50 Years,” a large number, arguably a majority, of the worst mass murders between 1999 and 2008 were committed by men between the ages of 17 and 24; this includes, among others, Seung-Hui Cho, 24, killing 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007. A “Timeline of Mass Shootings in the US” on Think Progress has shown similar standings.

The scales seemed to tip in the opposite direction in 2009 and 2010, but shot back up again in January 2011 with Jared Lee Lougher, 24, opening fire in a grocery store in Tucson. The year of 2012 was especially noteworthy in retrospect, with at least five mass shootings by men in their late teens and early twenties, including the Dark Knight Rises theater massacre in Aurora, Colorado, by James Holmes, 24, and the recent atrocities committed by Adam Lanza, 20, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. 

Typical college-aged young adults, I assume, are roughly 17-24, as with these men. Is there something about our generation that makes us more prone to acts of violence? Is this inclination towards barbarity innate? Perhaps only intensified by mental illness?

These devastating, horribly violent outbursts are being explained by predisposing psychosocial disorders, but is there more to it? Does the problem lie in an unstable history or in social ineptness? Beyond that, is there a way to notice these traits in young adults early on so that mental health providers and therapeutic practices can be implemented for them? Should attention to the dispositions of young adults be a part of teaching jobs in early education?

Thus far the proposed solutions I am aware of tend to revolve around strengthening gun regulations and gun control. Another has been mandatory military service for the sake of observance and obedience. Although I admit that I am entirely in favor of tighter gun control, we all know it will not resolve the problem. With enough drive, nearly anyone can get their hands on a gun. Is the solution, then, at a more personal, individual level?

Ultimately it seems to me that the best solutions are ones that resolve in more mental health awareness and access to health care providers; in therapeutic means that seek to help with relief, provide social assistance and promote acceptance. Perhaps this would be the best way of preventing the intense social and psychological depression and pathological hatred associated with those who commit these crimes.

 

As we have seen with debates over gun control, these horrible circumstances become political agendas, and before that happens we need to approach it as a social issue. The key is prevention, because no amount of gun control will bring those parents their babies back.

Perhaps our best resources are ourselves. Maybe it is up to us to protect or help our own. No matter the mental circumstances, when we see someone struggling socially, being bullied, unhappy- it’s our job to help them. To befriend them and show them that they are not alone, that they are not unusual, and that they belong just as much as anyone else. Any amount of kindness can change someone’s life.

My point is merely to consider: are we sitting down and really considering why this is happening? If this is only going to get worse? More extreme? It falls into the hands of our generation to come up with preventative solutions, to bring about a new era of universal peace and acceptance among young people everywhere.