Education

It's not always entirely the parents' responsibility (especially in the case of economically marginalized single parents who face serious time deficits for parenting due to working multiple jobs and dealing with impossible stresses). But often parents DO play a role, consciously or unconsciously, by demonstrating their own antisocial, oppositional, passive-aggressive, and/or blame-shifting dysfunctions as "clever" ways to handle those they are resentful of or angry at.

That sensibility in the home and/or among adults closest to them, combined with a large dose of our culture's current admiration for "strength" in the form of being able to manipulate or coerce other people, is a pretty strong influence.

Add that to the endemic terror among males suffering the slow-motion dissolution of their patriarchy-based privilege who provide many of the role models for youngsters (especially but not exclusively boys), which manifests in belligerence and machismo-oriented acting out, and why are we surprised so many of today's youngsters are finding toxic behavior patterns a "natural" response?

sadly,
Bright