Young Men, Culture, and the Cycle of Violence
The tragic recurrence of mass shootings in the United States makes clear that identifying the patterns behind these acts is only the first step. If young men are disproportionately represented among perpetrators, the urgent question is: how can we reach them before they turn to violence? At the same time, these young men do not exist in isolation. They are part of a culture of violence that stretches across generations and institutions—from the older men who profit from violent industries, to the leaders who run them, to the young men who absorb and act upon their influences.
Effective prevention must therefore weave together individual-level interventions and systemic accountability.
The Culture of Violence
Young men’s violence cannot be understood apart from the larger ecosystem that fosters and exploits it. Corporate structures profit from violent entertainment, gun sales, and mass media depictions of aggression. Government systems—from underfunded schools to inadequate health services—fail to provide meaningful alternatives. Families and communities often lack the supports, mentorship, and stability that could steer young people toward healthier pathways. Even the private sector, from insurance to healthcare, too often exploits need rather than meeting it.
In this sense, mass shootings are both individual tragedies and collective failures. Young men are actors within, but also products of, a culture sustained by corporate profits, governmental neglect, and generational complicity. Naming these structures is not about excusing violence but about broadening the frame of responsibility beyond perpetrators alone.
Meeting Psychological Needs Constructively
We must also look inward. Psychiatrist William Glasser, M.D., developed a framework of fundamental human needs—love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun—that remains essential for understanding the roots of violence. When these needs go unmet, frustration can turn destructive. Many shooters report histories of alienation, humiliation, or invisibility, suggesting their acts stem as much from unmet drives as from ideology.
Systemic failures map directly onto these needs:
- Schools that fail to cultivate belonging leave students isolated.
- Communities that strip young people of power reinforce helplessness.
- Policies that limit freedom without offering constructive agency drive resentment.
- A culture that equates “fun” with violence pushes young men toward dark fantasies.
Glasser argued for prevention that meets these needs in positive ways: schools that nurture belonging through mentoring and inclusion; community programs that recognize achievement beyond sports or academics; safe spaces for creativity and identity exploration. I draw on this not only from research but also from my own experience studying with Glasser and becoming Reality Therapy Certified. His insights remain urgently relevant.
Addressing Online Influences
The internet has become a powerful accelerator of violent ideologies. Forums and social media provide community for those drawn to extremist views, while algorithms amplify toxic content. Prevention requires both digital literacy education—teaching young people to critically analyze their online environments—and corporate accountability for tech companies whose profit models depend on polarization and outrage. Regulation and oversight must keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital spaces.
Examples of What Works
Promising models already exist:
- Violence Interruption: Programs like Cure Violence in Chicago treat violence as contagious. Trained “violence interrupters,” often credible neighborhood figures, mediate disputes and connect people to services. Cities using this model have reported reductions in shootings of 30–70 percent.
- Restorative Justice in Schools: In Oakland, California, adopting restorative practices cut suspensions by more than half and improved student engagement. These programs emphasize accountability, dialogue, and repair over exclusion.
- Employment & Mentorship: Boston’s Summer Youth Employment Program, pairing jobs with adult mentors and leadership development, significantly reduced participants’ involvement in violent crime. Similar programs in New York City and beyond have lowered both arrests and incarceration rates.
Each effort shows that when young people’s psychological and social needs are constructively met—and when systemic neglect is countered by targeted investment—the cycle of violence can be disrupted.
Toward a Comprehensive Strategy
No single measure will suffice. Prevention requires a web of responses that address both the individual and the system. Young men should not be isolated or scapegoated, but understood within a chain of complicity that includes corporations, governments, and communities. At the same time, we must invest in the supports Glasser identified as essential to human well-being: belonging, power, freedom, and joy. Only by weaving together systemic accountability and personal empowerment can we begin to break the cycle of violence.
Personal Note
I write about Glasser not only as a scholar but as someone who studied directly with him and became Reality Therapy Certified. That training shaped my understanding of how unmet needs distort lives, and how constructive supports can transform them. His insights continue to guide my teaching and my work on violence prevention, and they remain as urgent today as when I first encountered them.
Progressive Teachers Network 
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