Keith G. Benton

In the following viewpoint, therapist Keith G. Benton contends that violence among youths is a result of single parenting, poverty, and abuse, not the easy availability of guns. For instance, Benton maintains that children who live in single-parent, poverty-stricken households are at increased risk for learning and behavioral disorders and often grow into troubled, violent youths. Therefore, he claims that emphasizing gun control is an inadequate solution to reduce youth violence. Benton is a firearms enthusiast and former law enforcement officer.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does the author describe the media’s response to youth gun violence"
2. According to Benton, what are a child’s Golden Years"
3. In the author’s opinion, how does attachment disorder contribute to violence among children"

Kids and guns...