MAMIHAN HALBIN ZIDAN

VAN_News of violence topping the scene day after day is no longer isolated events, but has come to reveal a social problem that is worsening and taking multiple forms, from assaults inside schools to violence against women and aggressive behaviors among youth. These incidents,especially when they occur in places supposed to provide children with safety and education, raise fundamental questions about the conditions that produce violence, and the extent of the effectiveness of institutions in preventing it.

Numbers Revealing the Escalation of the Phenomenon

Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute show a rise in the number of incidents involving children from about 134,000 in 2015 to 203,000 in 2024, which raises questions about the conditions of their upbringing, the extent of their exposure to violence, and the ability of institutions to detect at-risk cases and intervene at the appropriate time. In light of the increasing assaults inside schools, security measures alone are not sufficient; rather, the necessity of strengthening psychological, social, and educational support systems stands out, and evaluating their ability to prevent violence before it occurs.

This phenomenon cannot be understood in isolation from the intertwined social, economic, and psychological factors, from poverty and economic insecurity to domestic violence, bullying, social exclusion, drug abuse, and anxiety about the future, as well as the influence of digital content. In this context, the media plays an influential role in shaping society's view of violence; sensational coverage, the repeated promotion of perpetrators, and focusing on the details of assaults and their consequences without delving into their causes may turn violence into a means of fame and attracting attention, instead of revealing its roots and holding the parties responsible for preventing it accountable.

"Violence Is Reproduced"

Umur Çiftçi, a sociologist and vice president of the "Star for Women" Association, believes that assaults in schools are not a new phenomenon, but the spread of digital media and the speed of news circulation have made them more present in the public sphere.

She confirms that the matter is not related to media appearance alone, but to the normalization of violence and the conditions in which children grow up, as well as the shortcomings of prevention mechanisms. She says that constantly presenting perpetrators at the forefront of the media scene, and displaying incidents in a sensational manner, may entrench an impression that violence is a path to fame and attention.

She stresses that the role of the press should not be limited to conveying assaults, but should extend to analyzing their causes and repercussions, instead of contributing to reproducing them.

"The Problem Lies in the Shortcomings of Prevention Mechanisms"

Umur Çiftçi explains that violence does not arise from a single factor, but from the interaction of economic, social, and psychological conditions that may reinforce one another. She adds that the essence of the problem lies in the extent of the ability of prevention mechanisms to intervene early, and the effectiveness of social and psychological support services in reaching children before risks worsen.

She says: "Children are not isolated from the values and behaviors of society. The environment in which violence is viewed as a display of power, in which differences are excluded, and in which problems are solved by violence, affects children too. Holding the child alone responsible means, to a large extent, ignoring the responsibility of society."

She notes that the need to belong, exposure to violence, social exclusion, economic disparities, and digital content are all factors that may affect children's behavior, especially when some of them are unable to find healthy means to express anger, frustration, and a sense of helplessness.

Institutions Are Required to Intervene Before the Crime Occurs

Umur Çiftçi confirms that confronting violence requires looking at the systems of education, justice, social support, and child protection as interconnected links, and questioning the extent of their early intervention when a child drops out of school, is exposed to violence, or becomes vulnerable to being drawn into crime.

She notes that limiting the system's intervention to after the crime occurs calls for reviewing preventive policies, noting that shortcomings may continue even after the crime is committed, when sufficient responses are not available to address its causes and prevent its recurrence.

Van... What Lies Behind the Escalation of Violence

Regarding Van city, Umur Çiftçi believes that understanding the escalation of violence requires looking at economic insecurity, social disparities, and the performance of public institutions, instead of settling for judging individuals based on the acts they committed.

She stresses that accurately determining the causes of this escalation requires reliable data and comprehensive studies, confirming the importance of effective investigations and accountability in cases of suspicious deaths of women.

She also calls for combating drugs not to be limited to security operations, but to include expanding opportunities for social participation for youth, and strengthening rehabilitation and prevention programs.

Umur Çiftçi concludes by emphasizing that confronting violence begins with holding the institutions responsible for preventing it accountable, and understanding the conditions that allow its emergence and continuation. For when violence becomes the result of an accumulation of exclusion, poverty, and lack of support, holding the individual alone responsible will not be sufficient, and true prevention will not be achieved unless the causes are addressed at their roots.