Youth power of schools: Experts warn of alarming trends!

Youth power of schools: Experts warn of alarming trends!

The increasing violence at schools in Germany is a topic that affects both teachers and students. Albrecht Lüter, the head of the violence prevention at the Camino Foundation in Berlin, expresses his concerns about the increasing youth violence and threats in a recent interview, to which teachers are increasingly exposed. He realizes that past studies have shown that the perception of threats from students in schools has increased. Police statistics also show a clear increase in violent delinquencies in schools, which underlines the urgency of the situation. Lüter emphasizes that reliable studies in Berlin are rare and that current data is missing, which makes effective prevention difficult.

According to the aftermath of Corona pandemic, conflicts and violent incidents have increased. This affects both pupils and teachers who, as Lüter emphasizes, have become more victims of attacks in recent years. School culture in particular plays a crucial role, and schools should be able to solve conflicts internally before they reach the public. To achieve this, additional resources and staff are necessary to react quickly to conflicts.

school violence prevention and the role of the police

In order to counteract violence in schools, the police are relating to nationwide programs such as the "anti-bullying program", which under the motto "No more chance for bullies" for the prevention of violence at schools. This program aims to combat systematic harassment through stronger students, so -called "bullies". Verbal attacks, humiliation and physical attacks are countered by targeted measures at school and class level. This is how rules against aggressive behavior are established and dispute arises are promoted.

The Olweus program that was created in Norway forms the basis for these approaches. It emphasizes the need for a positive school climate and the commitment of adults at school. Clear boundaries for unacceptable behavior are defined and the reactions to regular violations are consistently but not hostile. Early intervention is crucial to contain violence sustainably. Current successes of the program in Germany show that such strategies can work.

social dimensions of violence prevention

The causes of youth violence are diverse and range from violence in the family to group constraints to media consumption. Lüter refers to social developments that may lead to the increase in violence, in particular the aftermath of corona pandemic and child poverty. Numerous initiatives aim to improve social and psychological conditions under which young people grow up. The case of a queer teacher in Moabit, who experienced bullying and his situation was discussed publicly, illustrates the need for schools, sexual and gender diversity.

In Berlin, a national strategy for queer security is also developed to counteract the increase in queer -hostile assault. This is a reaction to the increasing attacks against members of the LGBTQ+community, which requires additional attention to the necessary security in the school areas.

Overall, it is necessary to develop a multi -layered strategy for violence prevention that includes everyone involved - from teachers to parents to the students themselves. Education, attention and targeted actions are the key to improve the school situation and reduce violence sustainably. This is also shown by the media package "apart?!", Which was treated for current topics such as bullying and aggression for students from the age of nine and spread in all primary schools. Violence prevention remains a central challenge that all social actors have to tackle together.

rbb24 reports , Police-consultancy presents measures , and Pedagogy provides additional information .