VietNamNet Bridge – The murder of 15-year-old Le Thanh Tung by his classmate ten days ago came as a shock to many, especially those in Cu Chi District, HCM City, where he grew up.

Experts say that children should be encouraged to take part in positive activities when they are small, to help relieve the stress of school pressure, and keep them from playing too many computer games.

It was reported that Tung and his friends had bullied Tien many times on his way to school, and had hit him in the past. On the day in question he carried a knife, and when pushed to the ground by Tung, fought back and stabbed him in the heart. The murder is part of a rising crime rate amongst youth in Viet Nam, and has awakened adults to the serious nature of the problem.

According to a report from the Department of Investigative Police into social crime, adolescent crime accounted for 20 per cent of the total reported cases in the first six months of the year. There were about 9,000 young people involved in nearly 5,800 reported incidents, 2 per cent higher than the same period last year. Nearly 40 per cent of cases were robbery, 11 per cent were causing deliberate injury, and 1.4 per cent were homicide cases.

Out of control

Something as simple as an impolite look, or being the victim of a perceived injustice, can lead to violence in school, says a student of Ha Noi’s Giang Vo Junior Secondary School.

Hoang Ngoc Anh says the main reasons for violence in school are jealousy and quarrels escalating out of control.

Anh says that recently a fight over a girl occurred between students at her school.

“A boy is playing games at an internet shop, another comes in and makes a fuss. The first boy losses concentration on the game and shouts at the other boy, then a fight begins,” she says.

According to psychological experts, conflict amongst students is a consequence of the psychological character of adolescents.

Deputy Director of Nhat Minh ICD Ltd, Psychologist Dinh Doan says youth during puberty develop strong self determination and are easily excited, but have little self control.

“They want to show-off but don’t know how to express it, so they revert to fighting and violence to show-off. Better students know of other ways to show-off,” says Doan.

School’s role

Many Hanoians still remember the violence between students in the capital city’s Hai Ba Trung Senior Secondary School over an internet chat two months ago. Nguyen Xuan Bach and Pham Duc Tam used a cleaver to seriously injure four other students.

Many people have queried the quality of moral education at the school, even though there is a morality programme from primary to senior secondary level.

To cope with school violence, many schools have strictly punished violent students, in some cases expelling them from school.

However, many psychologists say that punishment is not the best way to prevent school violence.

“It is not difficult to expel delinquents from school, however we need to minimise this kind of punishment. If not, we will push them into a cul-de-sac, with no further education these youths will probably look to crime in the future,” says head of the Youth Research Institute, Nguyen Van Buom.

Psychologist Doan says it is necessary to limit purely educational programmes, and add other more sport and other entertainment programmes to school curricula to help students live a more balanced life.

Dr Do Thi Hanh Phuc from Ha Noi Teachers’ Training University says schools do not have many lifestyle and behavioural classes, students only know the concept of morality but lack the readiness to practise it.

“Strictly controlling and punishing the spread of violence through film, books and games is needed. Adults, especially parents and teachers, must treat children in a loving way, rather than using punishment as a deterrent,” says Phuc.

“We will be unable to teach children to live in love and solidarity if adults are violent, we should lead by example.”

Deputy Head of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Legal Department, Ha Dinh Bon, says it is necessary to define agencies and organisations to take responsibility for protecting, caring for and educating children, in which there must be close co-ordination among relevant sectors.

“We should establish a network of social workers who will carry out intervention measures and co-ordinate with relevant agencies to prevent and solve crime in adolescents,” says Bon.

(Source: Viet Nam News)