Los orígenes de la violencia de los jóvenes = The origins of youth violence

Abstract

Youth violence is a major public concern in all modern societies. To prevent this violence we need to understand how innocent young chil- dren grow into violent adolescents. Longitudi- nal studies of large samples of children from infancy to adulthood indicate that the peak age for physical aggression is the third year after birth. Fortunately, because of their size, physi- cal aggression from two-year-olds does not constitute a major threat to the public. It is also providential that most children learn to control these socially disruptive behaviours before they enter school. This natural course of develop- ment suggests that the preschool years are the best window of opportunity to prevent the deve- lopment of cases of chronic physical aggression. Safe streets could thus start with quality early education.