Calls for ‘bully alarms’ amid youth violence spike

Nearly seven in 10 adults are in favor of equipping children who are being bullied with an alarm similar to the one distributed by the police to victims of domestic abuse, but warn that it could increase the risk against them if the response to a summons for help is not immediate and efficient, a new survey has found.

Carried out in September by Focus Bari via online interviews on a sample of 1,004 adult men and women across Greece, the survey also found that 45% of respondents want to see more policing in public spaces aimed at cracking down on violence among youngsters, with 49% advocating cooperation with private security companies to achieve this.

The police, schools and local authorities are key pillars of child safety, according to a respective 69%, 61% and 57% of respondents, with 36% believing the media and social media can also play a more positive role in reducing bullying and juvenile violence.