Aggression and Violence Affecting Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Experiencing aggression and violence has long-term developmental effects. Youth have indirectly or directly experienced aggression and violence during COVID-19. Aggression and violence have been happening in communities throughout the world, and with excessive social media exposure, youth are observing violence. Partner violence has also been experienced at home along with sibling violence. Being the target of aggression/violence has been reported by youth via texting hotlines and via self and parent-report surveys. This narrative review includes summaries of this COVID-19 research as well as potential underlying mechanisms for aggression/violence including frustration and touch deprivation. Limitations of these studies include their nonrepresentative samples and cross-sectional data deriving from different pandemic periods