Concerns about increasing school violence

Increased school violence

The propaganda session on drug, tobacco and school violence prevention organized by the Provincial Police Women's Association in collaboration with Quynh Luu 1 High School took place at the end of the school year. Although busy with reviewing and testing final exams, the school board still requested full participation from students. During the propaganda session, students not only heard about the current situation and potential dangers of school violence, but they were also equipped with a lot of knowledge and skills in preventing drug, electronic cigarette, laughing gas and school violence.

At high school age, students are faced with many choices and pressures from exams, family and friends. In the process of resolving relationships, they also have many problems, conflicts and sometimes lead to violence, both physical and mental. Therefore, through the propaganda sessions, we hope that students will have the necessary skills to handle relationships in and out of school.

Teacher Ho Sy Nam Thang - Principal of High SchoolQuynh Luu 1

In addition to Quynh Luu 1 High School, the propaganda session of the Provincial Police Women's Association was also held at a number of schools in Vinh city and mountainous districts. From the reality of the propaganda sessions, from the process of exchanging and advising students, Captain Dang Nu Hoang Hanh - President of the Women's Association of the Investigation Police Department, Provincial Police added: From small conflicts, it can lead to school violence. Therefore, in the process of talking with students, I always tell them to share with relatives, teachers, people they trust, and boldly speak in front of the community if they are abused or assaulted, the community will have a voice and help them.

School violence has increased in recent years. In Nghe An, information about school violence has appeared quite a lot on social networks with many different subjects and ages. According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, in the past 3 years, the whole province has had more than 200 cases of school violence. Of which, in 2021, there were 96 cases of school violence (15 cases of violence in schools and 81 cases of violence outside schools). In 2022, the number of school violence cases according to statistics decreased by 3 cases, to only 93 cases. However, the number of school violence cases in schools increased to 28 cases and outside schools to 65 cases. In the first 6 months of 2023, statistics are incomplete, 38 cases of school violence occurred, with 17 cases in schools and 21 cases outside schools.

Most of the incidents were fights, some of which occurred outside the school and were filmed, causing public outrage. Sadly, among the school violence incidents that occurred during the last school year, there was an incident that smoldered and lasted for months, possibly causing a 10th grade female student to commit suicide and raising alarm bells in society.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Education and Training also show that in a school year, nearly 1,600 cases of students fighting occurred nationwide in and outside of school. On average, for every 5,200 students, there was one fight; for every 11,000 students, one was forced to leave school because of fighting; and for every 9 schools, 1 had students fighting.

At the forum "What I Want to Say" recently held in Vinh City in mid-May 2023, Mr. Dang Hoa Nam, Director of the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs also said that after a lull due to the Covid-19 pandemic, school violence has recently been on the rise again. Specifically, according to the report of the National Child Protection Hotline (111), children who suffered violence in schools in 2022 accounted for 8.22%, an increase of 0.86% compared to 2021. In the first 4 months of 2023 alone, the number of children who suffered violence in schools accounted for 16.81%, an increase of 10.97% over the same period in 2022.

There is a common concern that the more we remain silent and do not share, the more the violence of isolation continues and becomes more serious. Children are lonely, do not know who to share with, are not cared for, and finally they seek the most negative solution, which is to choose suicide.

Mr. Dang Hoa Nam - Director of the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs

Need cooperation

Faced with the realityschool violencetend to increase, in recent years the work of preventing school violence has been considered an urgent task by the Department of Education and Training. However, despite efforts,School violence is still on the rise in various forms.

In addition to physical violence, there is also mental violence and online bullying. In fact, in some schools and classes across the province, there are cases of students dividing into factions, isolating friends, creating fake Facebook accounts to slander, defame, threaten and fight with each other, leading to some students feeling sad, bored, not wanting to go to school, afraid of school and class, and there have been cases of students becoming depressed, autistic... School violence occurs not only among men but also among women, not only between students but also between students and teachers and teachers and students...

Regarding the causes of school violence, through analysis, there are many different reasons. Firstly, at the age of 12 - 17, students are having many changes in physical, psychological, and personality, so they are easily lured, act regardless of the consequences, and are unable to orient their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Especially now, in the 4.0 era, many children abuse social networks, easily fall into virtual life, lack reality, have little direct interaction... but are very sensitive, vulnerable, anxious, lonely, and depressed. Meanwhile, families and schools have not promptly detected and identified them to take care and educational measures.

In terms of education, reality also shows that currently some educational institutions do not focus on teaching ethics or only teach in theory, do not have conditions to train willpower, and guide students' behavior. Teachers are under a lot of pressure at work and are not really happy. In addition, the coordination between schools, families and society is not close, has not promptly grasped the psychology of students, and has not had effective measures in coordinating to prevent and stop school violence...

Currently, Nghe An is one of the first provinces in the country to organize training courses to grant certificates to more than 1,000 staff and teachers working in school counseling. However, for many reasons, the social work team and psychological counseling in schools have not been very effective, especially in understanding the psychology of students and students with difficulties who come to counseling.

In addition, school psychological counseling groups often work part-time, do not have enough knowledge and skills, conditions and means to provide effective counseling; there is no specialized agency to support. School violence is increasing, partly due to families, who are less interested, close, do not grasp the thoughts, wishes, and unusual expressions of their children, so they do not share and support them in time when their children have problems in studying and living... Some families are not happy, parents lack exemplary ethics and lifestyle.

From the above reasons it shows that, roomFighting school violence must be the responsibility of students, families, schools and the whole society.

Mr. Thai Van Thanh - Director of the Department of Education and Training also said: To limit school violence, in the coming time, the sector will direct educational institutions to take drastic measures such as strengthening propaganda work on the harmful effects, consequences and implications of school violence, causes and prevention methods so that cadres, teachers and students can grasp and implement.

At the same time, strengthen moral education, lifestyle, life skills for students through formal and extracurricular education. Develop a set of criteria to pilot and expand the model of "Social work and school psychological counseling", ensure timely identification, counseling, support and intervention for students with psychological difficulties, disadvantaged students, absolutely do not let students fall into a state of isolation, depression... The industry will also continue to effectively implement the model of "Coordination between schools, families and society in educating high school students", take care to build a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment, deploy the model of "Happy School" throughout the industry.