Combating Child Aggression

The alarming rise in child aggression demands urgent attention.

- Ravi Bhushan

Children displaying abnormal and violent behaviour have become a frequent topic in print and electronic media, raising serious concerns for parents, grandparents, relatives, friends, and especially educators. Although children spend 5 to 6 hours in school, they are at home for the remaining 18 to 19 hours, either indoors or outdoors.

The alarming rise in child aggression includes extreme acts of violence, such as the use of sharp objects and rearms. Unfortunately, these dangerous tools are often easily accessible due to the negligence or carelessness of adults. In a recent shocking incident, a third-grade boy brought a small rearm to school and used it to shoot a senior student.

In another incident a few years back in Haryana, a senior secondary student boy shot dead his principal in her o ce in broad daylight for rebuking him to improve his performance in studies. Very recently, in Assam, a student killed his principal. There may be similar occurrences that might go unnoticed. You talk to any teacher, head teacher, principal, or management member of any school, and you will nd one general observation or complaint of aggressive behaviour in school-going children, which has become a severe issue to be dealt with tactfully and intelligently on priority. In a recent shocking incident, a third grade boy brought a small firearm to school and used it to shoot a senior student.