This blog post examines the causes behind the recent surge in ‘random crimes’ causing social anxiety and explores practical solutions, including psychological management and institutional countermeasures.
Random crimes are occurring with alarming frequency these days. Random crimes refer to acts of violence committed against others without any apparent motive, making them difficult to predict and causing significant anxiety in society. Various social causes underlie the frequent occurrence of such crimes, and above all, the inability of modern individuals to properly resolve daily stress and psychological pressure is pointed out as one of the main factors. This often stems from people being unable to control their hot-tempered nature and impulsively expressing it. So why does this inappropriate expression of anger occur so frequently in modern society? The article pointed to the following three causes for this problem.
First, individuals’ impulsive tendencies are exacerbated by societal problems. Today, many people tend to blame societal structures or others for their emotional issues or failures in impulse control, rather than looking inward. Shifting responsibility to social factors rather than personal accountability inevitably leads to growing dissatisfaction and anger toward the outside world, rather than fostering an attitude of self-reflection and acknowledging internal conflicts. Second, online arguments and violent content are becoming causes of conflict and confrontation in the real world. Emotions easily escalate and clashes occur online, and the violent language or expressions used in these processes can lead to problematic behavior in real life. Third, a societal trend has emerged where ‘assertiveness’ is increasingly valued over ‘restraint’. Whereas suppressing emotions and prioritizing social harmony were once virtues, today individual expression and assertiveness are emphasized, diminishing the value of restraint. This trend, within an individualistic social atmosphere, can encourage the easy expression of personal grievances.
Now, let’s explore ways to address the root causes of senseless crimes. As mentioned in the first reason, a key aspect of the problem is the societal trend that encourages shifting responsibility onto others rather than resolving internal conflicts. To mitigate this issue, it is crucial to learn how to recognize one’s emotions and handle them constructively. Before inner anxiety and anger are easily expressed outwardly, it is necessary to reflect on one’s state and seek help from counseling professionals when needed. Professional institutions like counseling centers offer various programs designed to reduce psychological pressure, where individuals can learn techniques to understand and manage their emotions. Furthermore, society must increase awareness of these counseling services, making it commonplace for people to care for their emotional well-being. If a culture where individuals voluntarily seek counseling is established, it can prevent situations where anger accumulates and leads to impulsive outbursts.
Furthermore, mass media must exercise caution when reporting on senseless crimes. Media exerts a powerful influence on people; frequent crime coverage increases the likelihood that individuals will perceive their difficulties or anxieties as stemming from societal structures. Therefore, the press should not merely report crime incidents but also inform the public about the causes of crime and the consequences of punishment, thereby raising awareness about crime. Particularly for random crimes, reporting specific cases detailing the severity of punishment is crucial, enabling people to understand the consequences of irrational behavior.
Secondly, measures are needed to reduce the impact of the internet and media on individuals’ impulse control. Today, violent games and arguments are extremely common online, and these experiences can have a particularly negative effect on adolescents. Violent online games are becoming increasingly realistic, sometimes blurring the line between reality and virtuality. This can be a particularly dangerous factor not only for adults but also for children in their formative years. To prevent this, institutional regulations like strengthening internet rating systems are necessary. Additional safeguards, such as frequently displaying warning messages for violent games or imposing playtime limits, are also required. Furthermore, since expressing aggressive feelings toward others online often leads to real-world problems, community and post moderators must strictly enforce rules against violent speech and expressions. Site operators bear the responsibility to strengthen their violence-detection systems to foster a healthy online environment and rigorously manage posts that could cause significant societal issues.
Finally, societal attitudes that unconditionally glorify the unrestrained expression of personal emotions as a virtue also require improvement. This can be seen as one of the side effects arising from modern society’s emphasis on competition and success. While pursuing success and happiness is an important value for individuals, it is necessary to cultivate a mindset of self-reflection to ensure these values are not achieved at the expense of others’ unhappiness. Modern individuals would benefit from regularly setting aside time in their daily lives to manage stress through practices like meditation or breathing exercises. Additionally, organizations and schools could implement programs allocating a short time each morning to foster psychological ease. For instance, instead of delivering stressful lectures during morning briefings, supervisors or teachers could emphasize patience and consideration through words of encouragement.
To counter the prevailing societal trend that unconditional expression is preferable to restraint, efforts must be made to teach compromise and self-control. Adults should teach children to calmly assess situations and express themselves appropriately, rather than immediately venting their emotions. Furthermore, when setting goals, it is crucial to consider whether they align with socially accepted values and to respect others’ happiness while defining one’s own objectives. Only when all members of society adopt attitudes of consideration and respect for each other’s happiness can we progress toward a safe society free from crime.
