A bouquet of flowers mark the spot where Norris Gaynor is buried following a memorial service at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tuesday,. Jan. 17, 2006. Gaynor, 45, a homeless man, was fatally beaten last Thursday in Fort Lauderdale. Two teenagers face murder charges in his death.
Teen Crimes on the Rise By Necie Green, 02.09.06
A teenage girl in Alaska plotted with two ex-boyfriends to kill her mother. The 17-year-old is now on trial for murder and conspiracy to commit murder. This happened in Nov. 2004.
In Jan. 2006 three Florida teenagers were arrested for killing one homeless man and brutally attacking two others. Two 18-year-olds and one 17-year old were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated battery.
Who can forget the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School when two high school seniors left 13 dead?
For some unknown reason, teen violence is on the rise in the U.S. The National Coalition for the Homeless is scheduled to release a report on violence against homeless people today. The study will reveal an increase in hate crimes and violence against homeless individuals. According to the report the culprits are mostly teenagers and young adults.
The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center reports that nine percent of murders in 2000 were committed by individuals under age 18. The organization also reports that America’s youth under age 18 were responsible for 15 percent of violent crime arrests in 2001.
Online message boards speculate as to the root of the problem. Some individuals blame the parents. Others point the finger at politics or the media. Whatever the cause for the problem, there are organizations designed to help solve it.
Mothers Against Teen Violence operates chapters nationwide providing violence prevention and victims services. FamilyFirstAid provides an array of services for troubled teens: from boarding and military schools to wilderness programs and treatment centers.
