A video of school violence has shocked public opinion in Greece and sparked new calls for the tightening of legislation concerning violence between minors.
The video from an Athens high school shows a group of female students beating their classmate. The violent incident occurred recently in Peristeri, a western suburb of Athens.
Published by Proto Thema, it shows the horrific scenes as a 14-year-old student is on the ground in the schoolyard being attacked by at least three classmates aged thirteen to sixteen.
In the video, the three girls can be seen throwing the victim to the ground and beating her furiously, while she attempts to defend herself. A dozen of their peers are watching and cheering without making any effort to intervene.
Βίντεο σοκ με τον ξυλοδαρμό της 13χρονης από συμμαθήτριες της στο Περιστέρι pic.twitter.com/yMZmlypx01
— flash.gr (@Flashgr_) November 21, 2023
The three attackers seen in the video were arrested at noon on Friday, while another individual, who videotaped and shared the video on social media is being sought by police.
School violence incident over a shirt
Proto Thema reports that the cause of the savage attack was an argument pertaining to clothes. “I know they fought over a shirt,” said a student who wanted to remain anonymous. “There have been other incidents, but not as fierce as this,” she added.
“Right now I fear for my child’s life too…since they got to this point they can’t do anything worse,” said the victim’s father. “We are talking about dangerous children here. For an insignificant reason…some students act as leaders in the school.”
“I took her to the hospital after she was beaten,” said the victim’s father. “She had a headache from the blows to the head, and some abrasions on her body. After we went to the police, she received threatening messages implying that they would finish her off.”
School violence and bullying are serious problems with devastating consequences on students’ lives. They can lead to physical and emotional harm, as well as academic problems and social isolation. In some cases, they can even lead to suicide.
On November 2nd, UNESCO marked International Day Against School Violence and Bullying with a statement that bullying is of increasing global concern and affects students’ mental health and well-being.
The strong links between mental health and violence in school are worrying. Experiences such as violence, bullying, and discrimination in school can contribute to poor mental health and affect learning, while feelings of safety are linked to better mental health and educational outcomes.
We must end violence and promote good mental health in schools to ensure learners learn and thrive in safe and supportive spaces, UNESCO maintained.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
