School-yard violence: Youth gone wild

Adolescence is known as being the most turbulent period in one’s life. Building identity, peer influence, academic pressure, parent expectations, violence on TV and social networks, drugs, sexuality… Teenagers often find no other means of venting out their frustration than through violence. News on Sunday investigates the root cause of violence among the youth. Two major cases of violence among college students have made the headlines this week. The first case involves an Upper Six student from the Mahatma Gandhi Secondary School (MGSS) of Nouvelle-France. He was assaulted by other students and had to be admitted at Rose-Belle hospital. The second case was revealed through a video on social networks. A Form 4 student at John Kennedy College was assaulted by two Lower Six students. The two students have been suspended. On Wednesday, two armed groups burst into the premises of Darwin College, in Centre de Flacq. A fight between two students the day before is the probable root cause of the incident. The police was summoned on scene and an enquiry was initiated by the Private Secondary Schools Authority. Commenting on the matter, the Minister of Education Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun highlighted that “we must not generalise and make people believe it is the case everywhere.” On the John Kennedy College case, the Minister states that the ongoing investigation must be carried out thoroughly. “It is important to understand what prompted the attackers so as to help them and the victim…” Bashir Taleb, President of the Federation of Private Secondary School, explains that children attend two types of schooling. “The first one which plays a significant role in the teenager’s life is ‘home’ where he/she learns about socialisation, moral values and education and the second is ‘school’ where he/she will get an academic education. If these two schools do not work side by side, it is obvious that the teen will be confused and will not grow in a healthy way. Today we do notice that there is a big contradiction between those two.” According to Bashir Taleb, children witness many forms of violence at home and in their family. “The child/adolescent carries this violence in his/her subconscience and eventually at school. We observe that four homes over ten in Mauritius have problems related to many forms of violence. It is those children who experience frustration, lack of support and love who are most likely to express themselves through violent acts,” he explains.

Immediate actions needed

Vinod Seegum, President of the Government Teachers Union, says: “We have seen that primary students have started copying college students by carrying on similar acts of violence. The problem is so alarming that if immediate actions are not taken, it will become unmanageable and teachers and staffs will not be willing to work.” But what is the root cause of violence? “We have the Education Ordinance 1957 which stipulates that no one has the right to inflict corporal punishment on children. In a circular dated 1996, it has been added that verbal rebukes and punishments such as throwing students out of a class is not allowed. This circular is passed around each term as a reminder. Parents and students have become all too aware of it. So, teachers do not have any power in the classroom. This is the main cause of the problem.” Bashir Taleb claims that teenagers like to show off. “They post their pictures, selfies, videos among others on social networks. It is a means for them to gain recognition and be tagged as heroes by their friends.” He adds that youngsters using foul language and swearing in public, trashing buses and public places among others bear witness to the decline of moral values. “We ask whether the education system has evolved in order to handle such matters. Today’s youth are digital natives but at school, we are still using chalk and talk,” he argues.

Omnipresence of violence

Vinod Seegum argues that the second root cause is the omnipresence of violence. “Children are exposed to different forms of violence everyday through TV, newspapers, internet, social networks, among others. So the child is growing in an environment full of violence.” Add to that the extremely competitive educational system and you get an explosive mix. “Parents look forward to sending their kids to the best colleges. The focus is solely on academic performance. There is no space and place for classes on moral value.” He hopes that the Nine Year Schooling project, which will focus on the holistic development of students, will be a start to curbing the problem. Bashir Taleb believes that colleges should set up appropriate structures. “It is high time to increase the number of discipline masters. Teachers have to walk around during recess to ensure that discipline is maintained.” However, he trusts that troubled youth can react violently at any moment and for petty matters as they are emotionally fragile. “This is why it is vital to introduce a special class, carried out by professionals, where students are taught how to manage their emotions, anger, stress, conflicts, etc.” Bashir Taleb regrets that no survey on violence has been carried out in colleges by the Ministry of Education. As such, there is no indication as to what the trend is.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"19373","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-33338 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"250","height":"243","alt":"Karuna Rajah, psychologist"}}]]Karuna Rajah, psychologist: “High time for parents to shoulder their responsibility”

According to psychologist Karuna Rajah, there are three major root causes of violence among the youth. “The number one cause is identity confusion. They just want to find the personality that suits them. They do not know exactly who they are, what they are supposed to do, etc. They are unaware of the personality that they should develop.” Secondly, there is an identity crisis. “In response to role confusion or identity crisis, an adolescent may begin to experiment with different lifestyles (work, education, or political activities). Also, pressuring someone into an identity can result in rebellion in the form of establishing a negative identity, and in addition to this feeling of unhappiness,” she explains. Thirdly, showing off. “Adolescents feel the need to show their peers that they are strong and powerful. In the process, they end up behaving like rowdies to spread fear among others.” The excessive violence displayed by some youth is not surprising, she says. “It should not be surprising if a teenager gets hold of a gun and engages in mass shootings. It happened before in a school in the US. We live in a peaceful country (Mauritius). It is high time for parents to shoulder their responsibility of checking the bags and rooms of their kids, engage into serious conversations with them and seek assistance of psychologists and counsellors for the benefit of their children. Youngsters need the support of elders and near and dear ones. If they are not being followed, they will err!”