Violence at schools in MV: Teachers demand effective prevention!

Violence at schools in MV: Teachers demand effective prevention!

Rostock, Deutschland - In recent years, violence in schools has become a serious topic, especially in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the incidents have increased significantly according to the Ministry of Education. A look at the sports hall of the University of Rostock shows how teachers actively fight against this stressful situation. Here, numerous educators train in self -defense courses in order to better prepare for everyday school life. Among them is also Sandra Pfeiffer, who reports from his own experience that violence is not uncommon in her teaching profession. "After my legal clerkship, I had to experience some situations that I would never have thought possible," she explains, addressing an alarming problem. The number of reporting incidents has more than doubled since 2018, according to the report of Ostsee-zeitung.de.

In the past school year there were 717 cases of violence among students and 321 against teachers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which corresponds to an average of about six incidents per day. Björn Schultz, an anti-violent coach who leads self-defense training, notes the teachers that are constantly growing. Many of them feel helpless and pushed to the edge, since the responsible bodies do not consider the problem with the necessary seriousness. This uncertainty and constant stress mean that teachers such as Pfeiffer and their colleagues even had to make transfer applications in order to escape from violent environments.

growing concern and lack of support

The problem is not limited locally. According to a survey by Statista.com, almost 50% of teachers in Germany have observed violence among pupils. The increase in crimes among young people, especially assault and thefts, is alarming. The educational report shows that over 12% of 15-year-olds experience bullying several times a month, which underlines the urgency of preventive measures.

The Ministry of Education emphasizes that the protection of teachers and students is legally anchored, but they are responsible for the implementation of protection concepts. Teachers criticize that they often lack the time and personnel support. A look at the courses on violence prevention during their studies shows that many are not sufficiently prepared for dealing with violent students.

The image of violence and the reactions

A look at current statistics reveals that other federal states are also fighting against the same wave of violence in schools. In Saxony, for example, there were more violent acts in the first quarter of 2023 than throughout 2019. A survey by the Philologists' Association of North Rhine -Westphalia shows that 76 % of teachers at comprehensive schools have become victims of violence in the past three years. In the most common cases, these are verbal and physical attacks, bullying and property damage that significantly burden the learning and teaching environment.

The discussions about the causes are diverse. Experts such as forum-verlag.com indicate overcrowdations in the classes, inadequate help for teachers and external factors such as world crises and family conflicts as potential triggers. In addition, reports show that cyberbullying is perceived as a growing problem, since the networking of children and adolescents begins.

The majority of respondents want more anti-violence training in schools, with over 80% of the parents demanding this in 2022. It remains to be hoped that both schools and education policy will follow a rethink here and take effective measures to prevent violence.