Civil War and the Culture of Violence among Youths: An Analysis of the Liberia Experience

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the culture of violence among the Youth in Liberian society to establish recommendations that will mitigate the effects of continuous violence. Drawing from the principles of a postwar culture of violence, this study relies heavily on the scholarly discourse on the Liberian civil war to establish a case study analysis that aligns the behaviors with the event. In the absence of such a connection, the recommendations for addressing the issue of violence among the Youth are not specific to this population’s lived experiences. Therefore, this article relies on literature relating to the conditions of the civil war, causes of the culture of violence, and occurrences of violence among the Youth to direct the recommendations for mitigating these occurrences. Through the Social Learning Theory, violent behaviors are found to be a condition of lived experiences and third-party observations. The key recommendations for mitigating the violence among the Youth and reducing the potential for generational acceptance of violence include improving mental health services, providing equity in education and economic opportunities, and providing mentorships for peacekeeping behaviors.