How teen violence and road rage are connected in Maricopa

The Gilbert Goons are a nearby example of what teen violence can become. 

The teenage street gang accused of a string of beatings in Pinal County, and the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek in October, are an example of “mob mentality,” according to Northern Lights Therapy owner and psychologist Brianna Reinhold. 

A recent case closer to home was a teen who claimed to be bullied, attacked, choked and left unconscious by fellow Maricopa High School students last month. And in Casa Grande in November, a teen violence incident turned deadly when 17-year-old Hailey Stephens was shot in the head. 

They’re all cases that saturated Valley news stations and city council meetings in late-January. 

One expert says teen violence might be closely tied with road rage, another outsize issue in Maricopa. 

Where does teen violence start? 

In a poll of more than 500 InMaricopa readers this month, 7 in 10 said teen violence starts in the home. 

About one-fourth blamed the internet. 

One in 10 readers said teen violence starts at school. 

It’s a loaded question, Reinhold told InMaricopa.  

“I wish I had an answer for that because I think we could solve problems if we knew more about where they originated,” she said. 

Teen violence could stem from many things, Reinhold said. It could be the environment where a child was raised or a way to release frustrations. 

“It’s almost a tit for tat kind of thing,” Reinhold said. “I think some of it starts in the home. What kids see happening from parents, or older adults, or even older teens, they sometimes think that’s how to handle situations.” 

Road rage 

In recent weeks, InMaricopa reported several instances of road rage in town. Community members flocked to the “Maricopa AZ 85138” page on Facebook en masse to share more such encounters. 

Arizona has the most confrontational drivers in the nation, according to a Forbes survey last year. Four in 5 drivers reported they’ve been yelled at, insulted or threatened while driving in the state.  

It might just be tied to teen violence, according to Reinhold, who said parents who road rage could set a bad example for their children. 

When a kid sees their parent road rage, they can “see that as ‘normal’ because their parents do it,” Reinhold said. “So, they in turn, think it’s okay to react in those more aggressive tones when they’re frustrated or mad.” 

Reinhold added parents should try to handle situations in a “more calm and appropriate manner.” 

‘Nothing new’ 

Despite the mounting headlines about teen violence and establishment of teen violence task forces around metro Phoenix in recent months, it’s nothing new. 

“I think it’s always been here,” Reinhold said. “I think it’s getting broadcasted and brought up more as a problem and people aren’t standing for it.” 

Reinhold asserts many were in denial about the prevalence of teen violence before these headlines swept the region. 

“We’re just seeing it through a different lens,” she said.