Placing student violence in perspective

THE DAILY rounds of social media videos depicting student violence continue unabated, with no signs of reduction despite the best efforts of school officials. The newest trend seems to indicate that our female students are not to be outdone by their male counterparts. Unfortunately, these acts of violence are the proverbial iceberg tip and do not reflect the whole truth. It is a powerful indicator that something has gone socially awry in our society.

Naturally, many concerned citizens are outraged at these images of human savagery that have incredibly become normalised and socially acceptable in the world on many of our young citizens. The propensity for youths to descend into such ferocious brutality and barbarism has assumed unprecedented proportions and this should shock all concerned into action regarding a solution to this astounding rate of social degradation unfolding before our very eyes. Major introspection must be undertaken regarding our agents of socialisation if this social disease is to be adequately treated.

The predictable responses/calls from many social commentators are for the Government (ministry and police) to solve the problem. Closer examination of the problem would reveal that the children carrying out these acts of violence are merely products of their socialisation. Children learn what they live; they imbibe behaviours from the significant adults in their lives and these behaviours form templates upon which they shape their identities and attitudes.

Teachers, being the first formal authority to confront such anti-social behaviour, have been lamenting the rapid rate at which the social fabric of the society has been fraying, recognising the connection between student indiscipline and socio-economic deficits. Family, community, ecclesiastical organisations and the media must acknowledge their role in repairing the damage. Schools alone cannot re-engineer social norms and values. Instilling in children concepts such as tolerance, discipline, respect for authority, limits of behaviour and a sense of self-regulation are essential ingredients for the establishment of good order in a society. It’s a shared responsibility between all the agents of socialisation. Student Support Services Division (SSSD) nor the police cannot replace the home, family or church nor undo the damage done by those agents who have in many cases abdicated or abused their responsibilities for various reasons.

Compounding the process of moral and social societal degradation is the powerful influence of social media which has been able to upend the social status quo at warp speed, with our children being the first casualties. The unfettered exposure of children from a tender age to social media in all its ugly incarnations has taught them to be intolerant, angry, rude and contemptuous of anyone or anything with which they disagree. Validation and social acceptance are not earned but demanded.

Our screenagers display extremely poor levels of interpersonal skills, self-esteem and the ability to negotiate with each other, mimicking what they see and hear. The line between reality and fantasy have become non-existent to many. Disrespect, disdain and contempt for institutions and people in authority are ingrained in them from a tender age by significant adults in their lives. Human life no longer holds the sanctity that is consistent with evolved civilisation.

The no-boundaries behaviour of leaders and people holding positions of authority are amplified by the megaphone of social media. This has significantly contributed to the radical alteration of our moral and ethical code, with our teenagers caught in a morality differential they cannot even comprehend.

While the majority will thankfully conform to the social and moral codes being insisted upon by the school, unfortunately many are confused with the imposition of a discipline matrix that is alien to their reality. Many are unaccustomed to being held accountable for their actions and are resentful and even flabbergasted at the mere notion of responsibility. Entitlement and rights are often interpreted in a vacuum and in absolute terms. Teachers’ interface with the parents of socially maladjusted children consistently confirms this ghastly reality.

Our schooling model never anticipated treating such large numbers of children with such levels of social dysfunction. Schools’ capacity to provide social satisfaction has been stretched to the limit owing to its philosophical assumptions re nature and purpose.

Naked rejection of schooling opportunity was never anticipated in this model, for it assumed that its clients would naturally see schools as opportunities for upward social mobility and empowerment.

Judging from the national discourse, the clinical diagnosis of this social disease will not take place with any level of alacrity and the problem will continue to escalate.

Teachers continue to fight the uphill battle.