In addition to the pressures of grades, dating, picking a career path and substance abuse, teenagers face the very real threat of violence on a day-to-day basis. The Center for Disease Control reports that the number of acts of violence amongst youth between the ages of 10 and 24 has been cut in half over the past 15 years, but still remains 50 percent higher than any other age demographic. Luckily, teens don’t have to face these dangers alone. Parents can take several proactive measures to minimize the risk of a physical attack or threat on their child.

Control Internet Use

The millennial generation, or those born between the mid-1980s and 2000, represent the first generation of Americans who have never known a time in their lives where they could not connect to the Internet for information, communication and games. The Internet offers teens a means of connecting with friends and relaxing after school, but also poses serious threats. The i-SAFE Foundation reports that two in five teens have been bullied online, one in three have been threatened, and half have done cyber bullying of their own.

Control your teen’s online time by shutting off your web router when you are not home and keeping their computer use confined to a living room where you can monitor them. Keep a close eye on their social media activity since, as a parent, you have the authority to watch over and even delete their profiles if cyber bullying gets out of hand.

Your Home as Your Castle

Many schools have begun to take drastic measures to make sure students remain safe and free from harm. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that between five and seven percent of high schools use metal detectors in order to prevent students from bringing weapons onto the premises, in addition to other safety measures. Parents cannot always make sure teens remain safe at school, but you can ensure that they never feel threatened in your own home from any external danger. Never leave your family’s safety to chance, especially if you believe that your teenager’s peers may take the threat of violence to your very doorstep.

Find Strong Mentor Models

Many teens turn to or suffer from violence when they seek to fit into a social situation. Teens look for mentors as they struggle to understand their own identity and their place within the community. If they cannot find positive mentors, they may look to peers who act like adults, such as gang leaders. Mentoring.org reports that providing teens with a positive role model makes them nearly 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs or engage in violent behavior, and 25 percent less likely to abuse alcohol. Mentors can be any member of the community or a volunteer from an organization, and can be a means for a teenager to communicate with an adult who is neither a teacher nor a parent.

AUTHOR: Marcus Beatty

Marcus is a retired social studies teacher and grandfather of 12 who blogs from his log cabin.

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