Unrest and Aggression in Educational Institutions - More than 5,000 instances of violations connected to educational institutions.
Last year, authorities in Lower Saxony documented a total of 5,053 incidences, categorized as misconduct, within the school setting. This figure represented a rise of 200 cases compared to the previous year, as indicated in the annual report released by the state's criminal investigation department. Despite the increase, the frequency of such incidents continued to trail behind the pre-pandemic levels.
Offenses classified as physical assault, including assault, observed a substantial surge, climbing to 2,680 occurrences in 2023 (compared to 2,161 in 2022). Moreover, this category of crime surpassed the pre-pandemic statistics.
Interestingly, nearly half of the suspected offenders acted independently. The majority of these individuals identified as males (77%), with male victims making up approximately two-thirds (66%) of the roughly 3,000 reported victims. Teachers were listed as victims 149 times, marking a slight enhancement compared to the year prior. Amongst these cases, teachers were subjected to physical assault 87 times.
Despite the rise in misconduct incidents at school, mandatory anti-bullying programs and workshops continue to be an integral part of the curriculum. Furthermore, regular discussions with students about respect and empathy towards their peers are conducted within the school setting.
