CODHEM calls for social intervention to prevent adolescent violence

The Human Rights Commission of the State of Mexico (CODHEM) has called on society and institutions to analyze the family, school, and community contexts of adolescents to prevent violence and crime. Through its DH Podcast, the commission highlighted the importance of understanding the root causes of adolescent behavior rather than focusing solely on criminalization.

Dr. Martha Camargo Sánchez, a retired magistrate and president of the Sanando Heridas, Reconstruyendo Vidas Foundation, identified affective abandonment and school bullying as critical factors that push young people toward risk. She noted that a lack of communication and support in primary environments creates a sense of hopelessness, making youth vulnerable to criminal groups that offer the sense of belonging they lack elsewhere.

From a neuroscientific perspective, Camargo Sánchez explained that unresolved emotions such as fear and frustration can cause constant hyperactivation of the amygdala, making emotional control difficult. However, she emphasized that adolescence is an ideal stage for positive intervention because the brain retains the capacity to reconstruct itself.