A recent uptick in violent crime involving youths in Baltimore County may be driven in part by social media, says Prof. Heather Pfeifer, executive director of the School of Criminal Justice at The University of Baltimore. Interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Dr. Pfeifer says that law enforcement, policymakers and advocates for justice are in search of the "right balance" to address violent crime involving young people. Access to social media is one of several factors in this complicated issue, she says. Unstructured free time, the availability of guns, and the end of the school year are all relevant aspects of the problem.
The Sun reports that while Baltimore County is experiencing a five-year low in the rate of violent crime, a number of recent episodes, many involving teens, has alarmed area residents.
"Kids need structure. They need to stay busy. They need to stay supervised," Dr. Pfeifer says.
Read Prof. Pfeifer's assessment in The Baltimore Sun.
Learn more about Dr. Heather Pfeifer and UBalt's School of Criminal Justice.