by Mark Gregston
CBN
Whether angry at the world, angry at America, or just a mentally ill, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner struck out with homicidal anger last weekend in Tucson, taking the lives of six and critically wounding Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. It has become an all too common scene; young individuals expressing anger by snuffing out the lives of others in public places.
Whenever such tragic events occur, I receive phone calls from parents wondering if their child may be the next news headline, since their teen also seems angry all the time, listens to the same music, wears the same clothes, smokes dope, and has other similarities. I assure them that teens don't become homicidal just because they are angry or because they have the same interests as the latest mass-murderer. Barring mental illness or being hyped up on alcohol or drugs, most teenagers wouldn't think of hurting another individual, let alone taking a life. (Though it does make sense to keep guns locked away from any teen who is expressing anger or is exhibiting depression).
In any event, teen anger must be dealt with or it will grow. It can be expressed in many different ways. It can be hot, physical, and vengeful or it can be cold, isolating, and calculating. Whatever form anger takes, dealing with it begins with understanding what it is and what causes it.
With teens, anger is usually an emotional response to not getting something wanted, or losing something once held dear. I'm not talking about anger over not getting material things, like the latest video game or a later curfew. What I'm talking about is a deeper anger over unfulfilled needs and wants, which usually happens when something of value is lost. One example could be of a girl being angry because she was taken advantage of physically, so she's lost a sense of self and self-respect in the process. Another is the more common situation of a child who is angry with one or both biological parents for their divorce and the split-up of the family.
Teens are especially attuned to injustice--real or perceived. Some can become angry just because they are starting to face the realization that life isn't going to give them everything they want. For instance, while Jared Loughner obviously had mental illness and was apparently known to use illegal drugs, he recently had some significant losses in his life, including being kicked out of college and rejected from the military. He also was convinced that the world would end in 2012, so his perceived future was bleak.
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