The horrific images on the screens in recent days and the successive murders of children have hit us all like a heavy stone. These wounds opened in our social conscience not only hurt us, but also sow a deep seed of anxiety in the hearts of mothers and fathers who see their children off to school every morning.
The situation is so dire that parents are now waiting at the school gates not only for grades but also for their children's safety. There is almost a “peer bullying vigil” in school yards. This picture screams out to us: The issue is no longer a few isolated cases; it is a threshold of social insanity.
Spiral of Anger Spilling onto the Streets
Peer bullying is no longer confined to school corridors and recess hours. We are faced with an explosion of anger that spills out onto the streets, cafes, parks and, most dangerously, into the digital world. This violence directed by children against each other sometimes results in irreversible losses.
Well, why? How did these children get to this point?
It is not possible to explain or even solve this dark picture we are facing with only police measures, school suspensions or a few disciplinary regulations. The problem is much deeper, much more layered.
Are Only Children to Blame?
The process that turns one child into a “bully” is a chain of negligence that extends from family structure to economic injustice, from cultural degeneration to lack of supervision.
Tension at Home: The stress at home of parents who are overwhelmed by economic difficulties and busy work schedules is reflected in the child's world as “anger”. The child, who cannot be nurtured with compassion and empathy, tries to prove his/her existence with violence.
Cultural Siege: Content in television series that sanctifies power and presents mafia-like characters as symbols of “dignity” steals the role models of our children. Social media, on the other hand, turns this bullying into a “performance art” and garners applause.
Lack of supervision: The inadequacy of guidance mechanisms in schools and the heavy burden on teachers prevent us from seeing the moment bullying sprouts. Realizing that they will not be punished, the bully flourishes, while the victimized child sinks into a silent darkness.
This Silent Scream belongs to all of us
The naked truth we need to underline is this: Peer bullying is not a problem that can be solely shouldered by the Ministry of National Education or families alone. It is a matter of social survival. From the family to the school, from civil society to the media, everyone is responsible for carrying a bucket of water to this fire.
Of course, experts will make the most accurate diagnoses, but our duty is not to look at this painful picture and turn our heads away. The issue is not to mourn after the incident has happened, but to rebuild a “climate of compassion” that will protect children and make them love humanity and empathy before it gets to that point.
Schools should not only be buildings where formulas are memorized, but also fortresses where the art of living together is taught. Otherwise, those “silent screams” that we ignore today will turn into a noise that we will all be deaf to tomorrow. And unfortunately we will all pay this price together.