Whether it’s true or not, student feel as though violence is getting worse. This could be a self-fulling prophecy. Students are more anxious and afraid of the violence they see happening around them through the media. This heightened anxiety and fear in turn leads to distrust, problems socializing, and actual acts of physical aggression.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) who calls violence an “urgent public health problem” explains, “individuals who experience one form of aggression are more likely to encounter other forms. Additionally, those who exhibit aggressive behavior in one context (e.g., towards peers) are also likely to display aggression in other contexts (e.g., towards dating partners).” Student could be experiencing an increase in social exposure, suffering from mental health concerns, or experiencing economic and environmental stressors that provoke physical aggression. These factors might be making things seem worse than they really are.