First Things First

The Spirituality of Youth Violence, III

III - Mechanistic Strategies and Research Methodologies:                                     An Indifference to Spiritual Interiority

Immediately after World War II, the principle threats to the health status of America's youth came from infectious diseases.  Polio, diphtheria, measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough -- each struck fear in the hearts of parents.  But over time those threats receded.  Polio is gone. Diphtheria is gone. Measles, chicken pox, and whooping cough are at an all time low.  Indeed, for all practical purposes, yesterday's battles have been won.  But they could well have been lost had we not identified the root cause of those diseases and developed vaccines that could prevent them.

Today, America's youth faces an entirely new set health threats: emotional distress, suicide, violence, substance abuse, and risky sexual behaviors.  Youth violence is especially troubling because of the highly-charged attention it has received.

Yet having developed over the years a myriad of programs to treat the consequences of such behaviors -- analogous to the treatment of infectious diseases prior to the development of preventive vaccines -- we still know very little about their root cause.  This explains why we have been unable to develop an effective national strategy to prevent violent behavior.  Effective prevention depends on a knowledge of root cause.

The Spirituality of Youth Violence, II

II -- The Critical Juncture: An Indifference to Spiritual Interiority

Indifference or reconciliation.  The choice is ours to make.

Yet, such choices are often perplexing, ranging as they do through the murky depths of the human psyche.  They easily befuddle the most astute observer and tend to dishearten those inclined to reconcile.

But apart from presenting confusion and discouragement, what makes an understanding of this choice so difficult is the use of the term indifference.  To most, indifference implies a moral deficiency relative to another person, such as a want of concern or caring for them.

Not surprisingly, most parents would deny any such assertion.  Few would admit they are indifferent toward their children.  Most parents have strong feelings of love for them and this love is a powerful testimony against any allegation of indifference.  Given this, it would seem that the disjunctive proposition — indifference or reconciliation — holds little, or no, promise for deepening our understanding of the causal dynamics of youth violence.

But before dismissing the term indifference altogether, it is well to remember that it has a logical meaning which transcends the moral sensibility and commitment to caring.