School Fights On The Rise, Concerns Have Surfaced Again

Concerns have surfaced again, about the scourge of violence in school. The situation has been magnified given the number of recent viral videos, depicting brawls involving students, at a number of high schools across the country.

Serving as an eye into the teenage mind, general secretary of the National Secondary School Council, Jadon Hewitt suggests that this could be a response to cyber bullying. One threat UNICEF points out as a significant risk of increased unsupervised time online. There has been an explosion of violent school fights recently, leading to significant injuries and at least one student being charged.

Former president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica and Educator Everton Hannam, say’s school fights aren’t abnormal. However, the social isolation brought on by the pandemic could hold some influence.

Hewitt pointed out that high school students aren’t likely to share their feelings with a trusted adult or professional. They may opt to speak to a friend instead. If school brawls are a trend, Hewitt says intervention is necessary.