The standards they have learned for governing their behavior are different from those of other children. Children such as Ritchie and Sarah are reluctant to assume responsibility for their actions. In very young children, these social characteristics are generally not destructive and can occasionally be amusing. However, later in adolescence, they are highly destructive and anything but amusing. Our society is producing thousands of children like Ritchie and Sarah who come from backgrounds in which they are exposed to a host of risk factors that can be very damaging over time.
Risk factors operate at differing and sometimes overlapping levels.
The contexts in which these risk factors exist include the family, school and neighborhood, community and, finally, society. Across these contexts, key risk factors can include poverty, dysfunctional and chaotic families, drug and alcohol abuse of primary caregivers, incompetent parenting, neglect, emotional and physical abuse, negative attitudes toward schooling, the modeling of physical intimidation and aggression, sexual exploitation, the growing incivility of our society and so on. These risk factors provide a fertile breeding ground for the development of antisocial attitudes and behavior among children exposed to them. The longer one is so exposed and the greater the number of risks, the more likely it is that a young child will develop an aggressive, self-centered behavioral style. They tend to overwhelm teachers and peers with their destructive behavior.