- 1,250 cases of cruelty to minors are reported on average every month throughout the country.
- What “reveal” the latest researches in Greece and abroad – What are the differences with other countries?
- From the University of Athens, led by Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Artemis Tsitsikas, the only university research so far on the correlation between youth violence – bullying and the Covid period.
- Increase in both the physical and online world after the end of the pandemic and restrictions. At +50-60% bullying incidents in the teenage population.
- Artemis Tsitsikas tells Data Journalists: “There is a withdrawal of teenagers from school, a devaluation of education as a whole, which is also linked to the culture cultivated online by certain influencers. At the same time, there is an emphasis on easy profit, appearance, and generally short-term rewards and goals.”
- “Many of the children who visit the unit emphasize in every way that “violence is often a solution.”
- “From the crash of 2008 until today, the Greek family has been in a constant state of social and economic crisis, there is a burnout.”
- Sophia Vidalis (Professor of Criminology): “We are in the phase of “moral panic”, there are no counterweights” – “The economic crisis has played a big role”.
- Government accelerates initiatives: Five-figure complaints and “panic button” for students.
- Involvement in gangs and individual criminal acts for 3%-5% of students, mainly high school students, according to the “mapping” of the Hellenic Police.
- The minimum age of involvement in juvenile violence incidents has dropped to 12 years.
By Vassilis Galoupis
According to the crime mapping of the Greek police, there are more than 100 “novice” gangs operating in Attica. On average, 1,250 cases of violence by minors are uncovered each month throughout Greece, while it is estimated that the percentage of unreported cases is at least three times higher. It is estimated that gang involvement and individual delinquency affect 3-5% of high school students.
Almost daily, the Greek media “host” news of violent incidents involving minors and school gangs, with children aged 10-14 being the protagonists. In 70-80% of these incidents, the perpetrators videotape their attacks to advertise their display of power.
What is really happening? Is this a new nightmarish trend, as in other countries in Europe and the Americas? Is there a connection with the decade-long economic crisis that the Greek economy and society have been experiencing? Did the lockdowns during the pandemic play a role?
Increase in violence in 2022-2023
The research conducted by Data Journalists aims to shed light on as many aspects as possible of a multifaceted phenomenon affecting Greece. It presents not only official data from police report, but also the latest research from Greece and abroad, as well as the scientific positions of experts on youth violence.
In 2023, the involvement of a minor in a homicide was recorded, while in 2022 there was no such record. In addition, in 2023 there were five cases of minors involved in attempted homicide, while in 2022 there were two such cases.
The number of minors arrested for assault was 202 in 2022 compared to 282 minors in 2023. Similarly, 15 minors were charged with rape in 2022 compared to 25 minors in 2023, and there were 732 thefts involving children in 2022 compared to 1,237 in 2023.
According to the Hellenic Police, there is a significant increase compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), especially in the years 2022 and 2023, as well as a notable increase between 2022 and 2023. The authorities are particularly concerned about the escalation of violence, as incidents involving the use of knives as weapons continue to rise.
In terms of crimes, there is an explosion in cases of assault, theft, and robbery. In 2023, boys exhibited delinquency reaching 80%, compared to girls, while the minimum age involved in violent incidents dropped to 12 years old last year.
Developments force the government, after extensive consultations under the Prime Minister, to draft a national strategy to prevent and combat violence and delinquency among minors. The aim is to launch in March the “Stop Bullying” platform for anonymous reporting of violence in schools and out-of-school places and to link the support hotline 10306 to the police. In addition, a special five-digit number for reporting incidents of juvenile violence with a digital application for immediate assistance, similar to a “panic button,” is expected to be implemented in the near future.
Extreme Violence: An International Phenomenon
Foreign research and incidents indicate that the problem of youth violence is an international one. According to the ECDC, fear of the pandemic has led to an explosion in gun violence: “2020 was the deadliest year for gun violence since 2000.
From March to December 2020, gun deaths by children increased by 31 percent compared to the same period in 2019, resulting in 128 deaths, as reported by the Everytown #NotAnAccident index. Several of these incidents occurred in homes due to domestic violence.
America’s domestic violence hotline received more than 636,000 calls in 2020, a record-breaking number. The next day, however, seems even more dystopian.
The reopening of U.S. schools brought a resurgence of problems. In October 2021, five teachers were physically assaulted at a New York high school. At the same time, a teacher reported being sexually assaulted while intervening in a student altercation at a school in Rochester, New York.
The president of the school’s teachers union, Adam Urbanski, told US News that “the pandemic clearly appears to have contributed to a significant increase in violence and lack of safety.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a public awareness bulletin in May 2021 warning that “the threat of school violence will remain elevated as more children return to school full time,” while the National Association of School Psychologists published a list of prevention strategies.
A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association in all 50 states between July 2020 and June 2021 received 7,000 responses from teachers and school staff.
59% of teachers, 58% of administrators, 48% of paraprofessionals, and 38% of social workers reported being victims of violence by students during their work.
According to a study published in July 2022 by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S., “87% of public schools reported that the pandemic had negatively affected students’ social-emotional development, while incidents of student misbehavior in the classroom increased by 56%, out-of-class disruptions by 48%, and acts of disrespect toward teachers also increased by 48%.
In Germany, they are monitoring the ongoing phenomenon, although with some reservations about the consequences of lockdowns. Currently, 387 juveniles and young adults are being held in the Hameln juvenile prison, the largest juvenile prison in Germany. There are 661 places in these facilities in Lower Saxony. The lowest number before the pandemic was about 320 inmates, but since 2022 the number is increasing again.
Several crimes committed by juveniles have caused horror. In the case of the murder of Louise from Freudenberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, the perpetrators, aged 12 and 13, were not yet of age to be held criminally responsible.
Since 2022, there has been a slight increase, but “it’s too early to see if there is a real trend,” Wolfgang Kuhlmann, the director of Hameln prisons, told DW. According to German police crime statistics, the number of suspects between the ages of 14 and 18 rose by 22.1 percent to 189,000 in 2023, while the number of suspects under the age of 14 rose by 35.5 percent to about 93,000. Experts recommend an immediate re-evaluation of policies on youth violence due to “problematic developments among young people”. Similar trends have been observed in other European countries.
The only research in Greece linking youth violence and school lockdowns
In March 2023, the University of Athens presented the first and only academic research so far on the correlation between youth violence and school bullying during the Covid period.
According to the study, “there has been a significant difference from the pre-Covid-19 period. There is an increase in both the physical and online world after the end of the pandemic and restrictions. The research shows a 50-60% increase in bullying incidents among the adolescent population.
70.6% of students report witnessing bullying at school, indicating that students are now shaping the school environment. In addition, over 71% of students consider bullying to be a significant problem. A significant finding of the research is that 64% of those who experience bullying do not report it.
The study was led by Artemis Tsitsikas, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Athens, President of the Hellenic Society of Adolescent Medicine, and Director of the MSc program in “Adolescent and Developmental Health”.
Ms. Tsitsika’s research remains a point of reference to this day. The esteemed scientist agreed to answer the Data Journalists’ questions, intending to explain the various aspects of the problem, especially in our country, which, among other factors, is also emerging from the decade-long economic crisis.
- “There is a withdrawal of adolescents from school, a devaluation of education as a whole, which is also related to the culture cultivated online by certain influencers. At the same time, there is an emphasis on easy profit, appearance, and generally short-term rewards and goals.
- There is also anger that seems to stem from the uncertainty and challenges of modern reality, as well as from the fact of the climate crisis and the lack of perspective.
- Meanwhile, familiarity with violent stimuli and their normalization through online culture leads children to instinctive, unfiltered expressions of a misunderstood “freedom”.
- “Let us also take into account that developmentally, adolescents think and act with a focus on the present moment, making it difficult for them to perceive the consequences of their actions in the future”.
- “Many of the children visiting the unit emphasize in every possible way that “violence is often a solution.” In a disagreement, for example, on any issue, which starts with intense discussion and reaches an impasse, eventually the one who will prevail is the one who will win with physical violence. In another characteristic reference, a teenager states that “the internet offers solace.” Through the conditions of quarantine, screen addiction rates skyrocketed, and there was familiarity with violent stimuli and their normalization through online culture. The first time a violent stimulus may shock, the second time less so, and gradually it no longer surprises and can be reproduced by young people unfiltered and through imitation mechanisms. Even young children can express themselves violently. In the US, a 6-year-old child reached homicide with a weapon!”
- “The parenting aspect is also very important. Children are inspired and primarily learn from the family model rather than theoretical positions. During the pandemic, an increase in domestic violence rates and children’s exposure to it was observed. Parents are often overwhelmed and may not supervise their children who, through age-inappropriate online games, blur the digital environment with the physical world and express themselves impulsively and violently without realizing the consequences”.
- “From the crash of 2008 until today, the Greek family has been experiencing continuous social and economic crises. Significant adults focus on the very basics and practical aspects of daily life (such as paying bills, employment, taking care of nutrition, cleanliness, etc.). They may face relationship issues, employment problems, be overworked, or even unemployed. Through these difficulties, they lose opportunities and positivity to cultivate an atmosphere of trust, communication, empathy, and security with the younger members of the family.
- “The research confirms that a very high percentage of families are in distress. Grandparents, extended family, or household helpers were absent during the quarantine, while at the same time, there were the conditions of teleworking, and online education, and immediately afterward came the wars, the energy crisis, and inflation. To reverse this situation, first of all, we all need to realize it and document it. Coordinated actions are needed—not fragmented ones.”
- “The ARIADNI II program is being designed, initiated by the Institute of Digital Biomedicine of the Ionian University, with the scientific responsibility of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Adolescent Health Unit – 2nd Pediatric Clinic NKUA – “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital), and concerns parents, educators, and children with a focus on digital education and the correct use of technology.” There are tools, such as those of Social Emotional Empowerment – Life Skills, which are essentially user-friendly and can be applied by everyone. They aim at recognizing and managing emotions, managing anger and difficulties, recognizing rights, promoting healthy advocacy, and respecting the rights of others. The basis of it all is Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics – however, we need to remember and update them.
- “Another important point is self-care. When we take care of ourselves and are functional, optimistic, and happy, we inspire our children, as well as our fellow human beings in general. In this sense, self-care is not a selfish act and has very positive results on many levels”.
- For extreme violence as manifested in recent years: “We must also take into account the developmental background of adolescence in modern reality with children who are developing and have a strong digital life. Parents and schools often feel helpless. Many times, educators struggle, particularly limited to teaching the curriculum, sidelining their role as inspirers, as facilitators who teach life itself and values to children”.
- “The discussions we have had with the teachers are numerous. They feel that they need more training, support, and mentoring. Many are eager to offer substantial help, to be useful to families, to contribute to the prevention, health education, and early detection of issues that concern and require their valuable contribution!”
Sofia Vidalis: We are in the phase of “moral panic”, there are no counterbalances
Professor of Criminology and Anti-Criminal Policy at Panteion University, Sofia Vidalis, provides her perspective on her subject, which is criminology. Speaking to Data Journalists, she analyzes the qualitative characteristics in the escalation of juvenile violence.
- “It seems that a qualitative change has occurred in some juvenile delinquency. But this should be observed over five years, as it may be circumstantial. I have some reservations about any changes in delinquency related to schools. We need to see exactly what has increased and where. For instance, in physical injuries. Even at the level of police departments, we have extensive data.” We should know if there are specific schools in specific areas where an escalation is observed.
- “There is currently a phase of moral panic, as it is called in terminology. It’s a phase when a problem starts to escalate, not in relation to its actual expansion, but it acquires a moral dimension. This shapes consensus around new measures and initiatives of any government. It’s a phenomenon that often happens everywhere.”
- “Indeed, it seems that we have increasing incidents of minors using knives. A gang-related phenomenon. There seems to be a qualitative change. But does this apply to all schools? In which areas, under what conditions, and what has preceded within the school environment? This means that the safeguards that should exist in schools to prevent such incidents are not functioning. It’s a matter of standards, I believe. Especially at ages when children absorb external standards, from television, the internet, etc. Like the standard of the tough guy. It seems that there is no preparation within the school for a response to this.”
- “Only the school could correct the situation. It’s wrong not to teach sociology today. It’s a subject that can precisely demonstrate these issues. It can be taught from the first year of high school. The child learns about the world, human relationships, why and how violence is formed”.
- “Teenagers are at an age where the child becomes autonomous. Socialization is the external environment. Peer groups, school, the internet, football. Anything outside the family. Everything influences, especially when there are no counterbalances”.
- “When children are in an environment where violence is presented as a method of forming romantic relationships, survival, and generally social relationships, and there is nothing else to show how bad this is, there is a very high chance that such behavior will be adopted. This is combined with real social problems that children may face at this age and that we are not aware of. It’s a matter of poverty, access to free creative time, whether the children themselves feel good in the environment they live in, whether they can dream, whether they have self-confidence. Long before we reach the courts, it’s good to see what we can do beforehand.”
- “The stimuli have increased significantly over the past 20 years, I would say. The economic crisis has played a major role. Not only for teenagers but also for those who are 20 years old today. They haven’t experienced prosperity, what it means to work eight hours a day, what it means for dad to come home at noon, or security at home. It doesn’t mean that children in conditions of poverty commit crimes. But the prevailing condition creates such tensions, as does the oversupply of wealth, which has opposite results, with stimuli of a different kind. Don’t try to find parallels with other countries. Domestic violence appeared in the United States during the Reagan era, along with extreme poverty. Now it has gone to another level. It is part of American society. We are in a society that carries arms. Let’s not compare such issues, because every society reacts according to the environment it shapes and lives in. For example, German children live in a prosperity that we do not experience. Therefore, violence will not be the same”.