Even though he's barely out of his teens, Mike McBryde knows what it's like to be a victim of violent crime.
"I've witnessed a lot," said McBryde, 20, of West View. "I was snuck up on from behind. I was hit in the side of the head with a billy club. I had to go to the hospital. I dislocated my shoulder and had a big knot on my face."
McBryde was attacked a few months ago not far from his West View home. His shoulder has healed, but the emotional toll remains.
McBryde is not alone.
Teens are twice as likely as any other age group to be involved in a violent crime, according to a study by the National Center for Victims of Crime. One in five teens report being the victim of a violent crime.
"I felt angry, really angry that this happened to me," McBryde said. "I didn't get a chance to take my anger out on anyone. I'm glad I didn't because things would have gotten a lot worse for me."
McBryde, a freshman at the Community College of Allegheny County, said he tries to avoid the trouble that can brew along once quiet suburban streets.
"People that have no hope try to take other people down with them," McBryde said.
Shaler police Officer Mike Heinl said a recent attack on a Shaler Area High School teacher in her classroom represents a growing level of violence among teenagers. A sophomore, whose name is not being released because of his age, is facing assault charges for allegedly striking the teacher during class. The teacher was not seriously hurt.
"This is just one of many that we've had to deal with recently," Heinl said.
Police have been called to Shaler Area High School several times this school year to deal with violent students, police said.
Heinl said the school is far from unique. Violence is escalating among teens across the region.
The report by the National Center for Victims of Crime found that teens who had been victimized were much more likely to commit violent crimes. According to the report, victimization during the teen years can prove especially damaging. School work can suffer, as well as the teen's physical and emotional health. Substance abuse and delinquent behavior may follow.
"This report serves as a wake-up call to all of us that teenagers are particularly vulnerable to crime and affirms that teenage victimization can profoundly affect the course of lives," said Susan Herman, executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime.
Much of youth violence is directed at other teens, according to the report.
The Allegheny County Center for Victims of Violent Crime, which offers counseling and court advocacy programs to anyone victimized in Allegheny County, sees about 8,000 victims each year. Eighteen percent of those victims are under 18, according to Stephanie Walsh, executive director.
One-third of young victims have been sexually assaulted. Another third have been the victims of assaults. About 5 percent have witnessed or lost a loved one to murder. The remainder are victims of a myriad of crimes, Walsh said.
A peer support group has been established for teens.
"It's hard for kids when they have gone through violence to have peers that they can discuss these things with," Walsh said.
The center also offers family counseling to help parents and children pick up the pieces of their lives after violence strikes.
"When an incident of violence hits a family, the parenting generation is often so numb or full of grief that it's hard for them to judge where things are with the kids," Walsh said.
Police or hospital workers often call in counselors.
"We actually deal specifically with the trauma associated with that violence," Walsh said. "Kids one day can look like they are completely over it, and the next day they can be really struggling with it."
Teens who have been victimized may go on to commit violent crimes, Walsh said.
"Kids who have witnessed violence or have been the victim of violence are at risk of incorporating violence into their lives," Walsh said. "When we deal with cases of juvenile victims, six months to a year later you'll see that teenage victim come back as the perpetrator."
Anthony Barron, 19, of Bellevue, called police after two young men charged at him on an Avalon street, throwing foul language and beer cans.
"I picked up a rock. I was about to retaliate, but a friend told me not to do it," Barron said.
Barron knows firsthand the toll of violence. His friend was shot to death on a Pittsburgh street earlier this year.
"I played football with him. He thought he was hard," Barron said. "When he got on the streets, he felt he had to prove something.
"I just believe if more young people and teenagers start going to church, we could end some of this violence," Barron said. "Instead of coming together to fight, we should be coming together in church."
Last school year, Shaler police arrested 60 students on district campuses. Those arrests included charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and drug possession with intent to deliver, Heinl said.
Police responded to 105 calls at Shaler Area secondary schools in the 2001-02 school year. Nearly half the calls were for disorderly conduct. There were 12 cases of assaults and four weapons violations, according to police records.
"We deal with a lot of kids that are fighting," Heinl said. "Lately, it's been a lot of drugs, alcohol, thefts, burglaries. Truancy is big."
In Cranberry, police keep a careful eye on the malls and other popular teen spots.
"We did have a lot of problems at the malls with the kids," Cranberry Lt. Jeff Schueler said. "The kids are hanging out and somebody decides they want to fight."
Butler County's growing drug problem is spawning more violence, Schueler said.
"Our drug problem with this heroin is very concerning," Schueler said. "It fuels a lot of crime."
In some cases, parents refuse to acknowledge that their teens are in trouble. Other parents want their teens held accountable, Schueler said.
"I've had parents come in and demand that their child be held responsible with more than just a warning," Schueler said. "They are the kids that you're not going to see again because their parents are getting involved."
In his 23 years on the Cranberry police force, Schueler has seen the population and violence swell.
"The big concern now is weapons," Schueler said. "Now, you've got to worry about guns, knives."
"We view violence as a public health issue," Walsh said. "If there was an outbreak of measles to the degree that kids are being affected by violence, there would be public outrage. The statistics are staggering."
Henry Marsh, 19, of the North Side, said he is undaunted by the violence that plays out around him.
"I'm pretty calm unless someone messes with me," Marsh said. "If you're involved with street action, you're going to see violence. If you're involved with positive things, then positive things will happen to you."
Marsh said the temptation to get involved with drugs and violence is a daily struggle for many teens.
"It's easier to get involved with bad things," he said. "It's not about what's easy. It's about being smart."
