Filenews 11 January 2025 - by Evangelia Sizopoulou
The increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded in schools are an issue that concerns not only Cyprus, but also many other countries, which through research findings find that the situation is extremely worrying. Just a week ago, "F" in a relevant report recorded the increase in school violence even in Primary Education, with behaviours of young students sounding the alarm. Behaviours that create serious problems for both children and schools that are called upon not only to deal with these incidents but also to manage them effectively, contributing to the solution of the problems they create, with ramifications even in society.
It is a fact that this issue has been of great concern in recent years, especially on the occasion of the COVID-19 pandemic, a very serious parameter, which has been put under the microscope of several researchers.
A few days ago, in.gr Greek website presented data from a particularly interesting survey on violence between students, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center. The survey was conducted with 990 teachers in December 2024 and the number of teachers who said there had been an increase in delinquency in schools was higher than the last time the website conducted a survey on the same topic.
This survey highlighted the problem in the U.S. as well, with nearly half of teachers, school leaders and district principals (48%) saying student behaviour was much worse this fall compared to their behaviour before the pandemic. Violence is now also at the heart of teachers' concerns, as it seems to erupt daily in schools. Indeed, as has been pointed out, this problem has become one of the greatest challenges of recent years.
Regarding the acts included in the term "school violence", they range from minor disturbances in the classroom to extreme incidents of bullying between students, beatings and any kind of violence (verbal, sexual, etc.), which are often recorded and broadcast by social media.
In addition, research has shown that along with this behavioural shift of students, there was even a decrease in their willingness to learn, again from the coronavirus period onwards.
Pessimistic teachers, prosecutions and arrests
Another interesting aspect of the above survey is the pessimism felt by teachers. The fact that they are often at the centre of controversies in schools seems to be hurting their morale. It seems that the percentage that says they are satisfied with their work is now small, reaching only 18% in the survey.
The investigation revealed that in many cases, they are blamed even for incidents in which they have not been directly involved. In fact, many teachers are called upon to deal with behavioural problems a few times a week. The students' disobedience and lack of willingness to avoid fights puts an emotional strain on teachers, who tend to appear tired, making their work even more difficult. These conditions create pessimism at all levels of teaching.
Regarding the situation in Greek schools, the publication hosting the survey stated that very often, teachers, especially principals, are held accountable. "This situation increases the feeling of fear among the teaching staff, who have to deal with large and disproportionate numbers of students and naturally cannot be in front of every violent incident. Instead of receiving the help they need to keep schools running well, teachers face persecution. The arrests, apart from the psychological pressure they exert, also hinder the unhindered teaching process, while they also "crumble" the image of the teacher in front of the students' eyes, putting him in a position of accountability, possibly causing a decrease in respect for him, which can cause a rupture. Many teachers have either been removed from the profession or intend to do so in the near future," it said.
