The Darkness We Carry

The Darkness We Carry

Youth violence is a storm that brews in silence. It rises from the crack of broken hearts where hope is rare and dreams fallen apart. It dances in anger. For every wound there is a story untold and unheard. 1.4 million female youth are denied the right to an education. Their dreams are darkened by the shadow of violence in their communities. In addition to this, those that attend school get bullied, picked on, and are excluded.

Violence may not knock on my door, but its echoes reverberate in the lives of others. Their struggle is worth knowing as it gives us strength to prevent victims falling in the same fate. Different people carry distinct experiences and lessons from violence, each shaped by their unique mindset and characteristics. My story is only one of many, a single chapter of a novel. Moments of violence leave an effect on youth which are drug problems, school fighting, and war.

An effect that violence leads to is drug abuse. This is not a violence from others. It is a violence from yourself. I was shocked when a high school teacher told me that she sees students doing drugs in the bathroom and escaping class. It does not only impact their health problems using drugs but also changes them academically by not showing up in class. Students might not have responsible role models to help them make good choices. This leads to students getting influenced by other teens thinking of it as a way to cope with their struggle. To break this violence, parents must remain close with their child and not allow them to have access to drugs. States and schools should enforce policies against drugs in school. Drug problems among students can lead to aggressive behavior and impulsivity, which can be shown as violent school fights.

Violence can have many impacts on people, one of them is school fights. On a beautiful day, as I daydreamed about the bright future ahead of me, I saw two girls and a boy beating another girl. They were students from my neighborhood school in Chicago, one of them was my sister’s friend. The beaten girl told me that this happened because of a joke they had at lunch; they were throwing snacks and food at each other jokingly. I was left in shock, questioning whether my future would still be promising, or if I might fall victim to the violence as well. I was thinking that inside a school is safe, but this shows that I was wrong because of fights going on in schools. They can affect students both physically by hurting them and mentally by leaving fear in the learning space. School fights can be caused because of separate small groups of students who bully each other, spreading rumors, different opinions and family issues. However, there is always hope in finding a solution. Schools should provide spaces for students to address and discuss these conflicts. Offering counseling or problem resolution classes can help give an opportunity to stop the problem for those in need. They can also increase the security of schools by hiring more security guards to prevent students from fighting. However, in some parts of the world, kids don’t even get to fight because they don’t even have the right to go to school.

In Afghanistan every day, there are thousands of girls that are not attending school due to violence from the Taliban. Forty girls, my classmates and many other girls are not allowed to get education. Since August 2021 any female above 6th grade is …considered graduate and banned from further schooling. This decision is not just an action but a policy that limits women’s rights. I wish people could see the deep sorrow that weighs heavy on the hearts of those denied their basic human rights. It can affect their mental health by carrying the burden of a future that is out of reach, a future where education and career seem miles away. Like unstable waters in a storm, their emotions when they see they are being treated unfairly and differently because of their gender. The reason why this happens is because of an unjust leader that rules in a way where he thinks education is not right due to his own interpretation of religious studies with his followers’ support. For this reason, my parents escaped Afghanistan in search of a better education for their six children. Since I am in the U.S. I have more educational opportunities. I am close to graduating from middle school and starting high school, and my siblings are pursuing a college education. Despite that, I believe powerful nations like the U.S. and organizations championing humanity must take a stand, and don’t let the shadow of oppression affect the lives of many others.

Youth violence is a force that affects individuals and communities in many ways, whether it is denying girls an education, struggles with drugs or physical and emotional school fights. One form of violence can lead to another. For instance, when students get influenced by negative role models, they may turn to drugs which can cause disconnection and lead to violent actions to their peers. Beyond personal problems, violence can also come from nations or leaders. Like Afghanistan where its government denies her female citizens the right to an education. However, there is always a way to be good again, a way to break the cycle of violence. We can do it by speaking out, reporting issues, standing up for what is right. We all deserve to live without fear. In the word F.E.A.R. We should live like a bird flying freely with a strong and loud voice and not like a deer running from danger.