Knife attacks in Villach: How should we teach our children to deal with?

Knife attacks in Villach: How should we teach our children to deal with?

Villach, Österreich - In Austria, the willingness to use violence has increased among young people. Recently there were several knife attacks in the last week, with the most shocking incident took place in Villach. Here 14-year-old Alexander was seriously injured by a Syrian migrant and died of his injuries. This tragic event raises questions about security and dealing with migrants, especially among young people, such as the Krone .

The debate about the causes and background of such violent acts is underpinned by a frightening statistics from Germany. According to the daily newspaper “Die Welt”, there were almost 20,000 knife attacks in 2020, in which migrants are disproportionately represented. Ahmad Mansour emphasizes in his column that the social ignorance of the reasons for such incidents cannot help. The recognition of patterns in violent crime is crucial to find effective solutions. Many of these attacks have their origin in cultural and social tensions caused by trauma and patriarchal educational styles in many migrant families. This connection must be openly discussed in order to understand and tackle the roots of violence. For many, like the migrants, our system often represents a threat, which leads to an increased feeling of uncertainty that can express itself in aggressive behavior, says Mansour.

Problem of the knife attacks

It is particularly worrying that men often see violence in these contexts as an expression of masculinity. Studies show that every third male teenager carries a knife with them, which doubles the risk of violent clashes. The Focus on perpetrator behind, both ideological as well include psychological causes is essential to break through the spiral of violence. It is important to recognize the reality of these problems instead of displacing them. Sustainable solutions can only be developed through an open and honest discussion to prevent tragic deaths such as that of Alexander.