Aggression Quote by Gabor Maté
““There were six thousand violent incidents reported by the New York City school board in 1993 compared with one single violent incident in 1961. The number of serious assaults among Canadian youth have climbed fivefold in the last fifty years, while in the United States, it's up sevenfold. The increasing abuse of parents by their children was the subject of the recent Cottrell report to Health Canada. In one survey, four out of five teachers reported having been attacked by students, if not physically then by intimidating threats and verbal assaults. When the definition of aggression is expanded to include self-attack, the suicide statistics become very disturbing. Attempts with fatal outcomes have tripled among children in the past fifty years. Suicides among ten- to fourteen-year-olds have been increasing at the fastest rate. Many adults today are hesitant to confront groups of youths they do not know, for fear of being attacked. Such apprehension was virtually unknown a generation or two ago. Those of us who have been around for a while can sense the difference a few decades have made.””
About This Quote
Source Report: Cottrell Report to Health Canada, 2020
Youth aggression and violence have risen sharply over decades, affecting schools, families, and mental health.
In simple terms: Youth violence is increasing.
Address root causes to reduce harm.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- schools
- community centers
- family counseling
- legislative reform
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What societal changes contributed to this rise?
- How can communities intervene early?
Data may be skewed by reporting changes; correlation not causation.