Teachers, parents despair at rise of juvenile violence

Experts are raising the alarm that teen violence has become commonplace in Greece, also noting growing instances of self-harm and suicidal tendencies.

“Every year it gets worse and worse,” said N.M., a teacher in Athens, referring to a 13-year-old who was beaten up outside school by peers. “I learned about it from the other children who were watching the video that they uploaded to TikTok.”

Interviews with parents and teachers show that violence among children and adolescents has reached ominous proportions. The common denominator in most incidents is the adults’ inability to identify the problem at its source and to manage the situation.

One teacher bemoaned that parents “have opinions on everything,” but when asked to take responsibility refuse to recognize there is a problem. Teachers in many cases simply advise children who ask for help to avoid bullies, or even turn a blind eye.