Another news of violence among children hit like lightening when a student of class XI brought a knife to the school in Jaipur with malicious intent against a fellow student. He could have harmed his classmates if other students did not step in swiftly. Later, he was handed over to the police.   

In another incident, a 15-year-old was stabbed by a former classmate, which led to communal violence in Udaipur. As it was Raksha Bandhan, his sister tied rakhi on his wrist in the hospital, prior to his death.  

In a separate incident, three government school students in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, were taken into custody by Nanguneri police after they allegedly brought a knife to class with the plan  of attacking their teacher. The students, of class 12, were allegedly angry about their poor exam scores.  
After their argument with their teacher got out of hand, one of the students showed up to the class carrying a knife. These incidents are becoming out of control with the rate of violence in children rapidly rising. 

Countries with easy access to weapons have been linked to instances of child target violence in the past. But now, children in our own country are also falling victim to this problem. Countries like India that show the ever-increasing number of cases of violent attacks and even killings with the use of guns and knives are  examples of how children are now unsafe. Such a shift illustrates general social trends and  underscore the necessity of safe practices. 

From Foreign Reports to Local Realities 

Earlier, percent of news regarding violent behavior among youths originated from countries like the United States, where school massacres and gang violence was  highly prevalent . The focus of these reports were on how one can buy guns easily. Most of children in foreign countries have guns of their own. Thus, availibility of guns and other weapons contribute to the violent behavior in kids. 

Emergence of Weapon Violence in India 

From the events mentioned above, it seems India is also experiencing this pattern. Reports about kids having knives and guns are no longer new to the headlines in society. This escalating trend indicates that what used to be considered a western disease—youth violence—is gradually extending to other parts of the world where incidences of violence used to be rare in kids. 

Impact of Westernization  

Some children think that owning guns or any type of weapons is symbol of status or power in the society. Children do what they see, thus, seeing violence and aggression in media has lead to increase in violence among kids. 

Cultural Influences and Perceptions 

Road rage, public fights and verbal abuse are becoming increasingly prevalent as part of a delinquent mindset. When children and teenagers witness adults acting aggressively, they may adopt the same belief. Peer violence may end up becoming more commonplace overall. 

Consequences of Violence: The Personal Toll 

Violence has consequences not simply confined to physical ailments in the short run. Violence has devastating effects. Families who experience such horrible incidents endure a great deal of grief and frequently struggle to come to terms with it. 

Influence of Violence in Media   

Violence is glorified in the movies, especially in action or gangster type of movies. This portrayal means that when people see anger as something that a worldly or successful individual would display, they may develop an unhealthy perception of it. The content presented by such media may be adapted by youth of a given society. Now, violence or aggression is considered “cool,” a change from what was once believed. As more and more movies of this genre are releasing in India, young people are becoming more and more violent. 

Prevention 

Educational Programs

Emphasizing the negative impact of violence and providing children with knowledge on conflict solving. These programs can help children acquire a different view of the repercussions of their actions. 

Parental Engagement

Parents should not only lead and control their children’s actions but also make themselves involved in their lives. Getting kids to open about how they’ve given in to peer pressure and how the media affects them will enable them to manage such factors more effectively. 

Community Initiatives

Community-based programs with recreational activities for children can positively engage the kids and decrease their chances of violent behavior. It may be effective to set up escape zones and provide proper constructive channeling of energy. 

Policy Enforcement

Strict laws and regulations governing the possession or use of weapons by minors can be effective in averting violent incidents. 

Now in India and other countries there is a similar problem and increased child violence, which in the past was linked with high weapon availability in the West only. There are some problems with this trend, which can be attributed to the Westernization of society, the media’s portrayal of aggression as ‘cool’ and a social shift. Combined with this, measures should be taken at the community level, the level of policy implementation, parents, and education. It is possible to make the environment for all children safer by using these strategies.