Alex's Answer

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Ask Alex with your question, “why do people kill people?”.  This is a very important question, and we are happy to answer it as best as we can! 

When someone is killed, we are often left questioning why something like that happened. We may feel a range of emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, confusion and pain; all of which are completely normal. Even adults may have difficulty explaining why things like this happen as they don’t have all the answers either, and this is also okay! However, what we do know for certain is that no one has the right to hurt another person in any way. Everyone has the right to life and the right to feel safe and protected from harm.   

There are many people in our lives who are responsible for making sure that we feel protected and safe from harm. This starts with the people in our family like parents/caregivers, aunts/uncles and grandparents. There are also other people outside of our families who work to keep us safe such as the Garda, social workers, teachers, youth workers, and other trusted adults who work in this kind of area. 

Killing is never the answer and is never something anyone should do. In every country all over the world, killing is wrong and legally punishable. The reason people kill is something researchers and scientists worldwide study and it is a very difficult subject to figure out because human beings are so complicated in how they think, feel and behave. Some people kill because of war, some people kill because of jealousy, hatred, because they think it is the only way to get something they want, or because they do not have the right kind of guidance in their lives.   

It can be hard not having a clear answer but what can help is talking about this subject with adults you trust who may be able to offer support when we are overwhelmed with difficult emotions. I’m wondering if you would consider speaking to someone about what’s going on for you such as a parent, aunt/uncle, grandparent, teacher, youth worker? It may be helpful for you to express your worries and concerns, ask questions and have someone to offer support and encouragement. 

Remember, you can always phone Childline on 1800 66 66 66 to talk about what is going on for you. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our text service 50101 and Web Chat service through www.childline.ie are also available daily. While we do not tell you what to do here at Childline, we are here to listen to and support you, and to help you to explore the options that are available to you in your life. We are here to help you in a way that suits you. 

The Childline website has lots of helpful information such as your rights as a child, privacy and protecting your data and a general advice and information section. You can find out more at www.childline.ie.

We hope that this information will help in some way and thank you for your question today. 

Take Care, 

Alex