Young people are mimicking the violence prevalent in society, politics and traditions. While it’s true that everything begins with the “sacred Cypriot family,” the same institution produces all these irresponsible-yet-responsible officials. These officials should stop blaming their failures on “modern morals” and take a long look in the mirror.
Regularly we learn of yet another violent incident in our society. Women and children suffer abuse and rape, often within their immediate family circle. Recently, there have been incidents related to the (misunderstood?) Easter tradition of bonfire celebrations, with fires and firecrackers resulting in one death and numerous injuries.
We also frequently witness violent episodes from hooligans inside or outside football stadiums, as well as during demonstrations, sometimes involving the police.
Racist attacks against migrants predominantly from Muslim and African countries are increasing, as are violent acts committed by foreigners, occasionally undocumented migrants. Add to this so-called “school delinquency,” involving acts of varying degrees of violence.
All these events share one common characteristic: the authorities’ inability to understand and address them effectively. The Ministries of Education, Justice and Public Order, Parliament, Police, and Social Welfare Services have all failed. Ministers and MPs, schools, police, and local authorities all appear helpless, unable to propose anything worth more than the paper it’s written on – each points the finger at another and collectively they blame the family.
Yes, it’s true that everything begins with the “sacred Cypriot family,” but these officials themselves come from the same institution. These various irresponsible-yet-responsible officials should stop attributing their failure to “modern morals” and the “breakdown of traditional family values,” abandon their familiar refrain of “in our day…”, and look in the mirror to see the real culprit.
Society’s moral decline stems from the highest levels of government, from corruption and collusion among those who neglect or exceed their duties, either deliberately or through incompetence. Since what they call “youth delinquency” begins to manifest in schools, let’s consider what the UN’s global study on Violence Against Children (Pinheiro 2006) states: “The levels and patterns of violence exhibited in schools reflect the levels and patterns of violence existing in society and family.
These in turn reflect existing political and socio-economic trends, cultural traditions and values, the legal framework and its implementation.” Youth delinquency, therefore, has its roots in society, politics and cultural tradition – this is what young people are copying and implementing: “Through the role of perpetrator, victim or witness to violence, children learn that violence is an acceptable way for the powerful and aggressive to get what they want from the relatively weak, passive or peaceful.” How can violence be remedied if society and its institutions aren’t healed first?
Consequently, youth violence and delinquency wouldn’t exist if they weren’t encouraged by societal and political views and values. But these misguided values are cultivated, implemented and expressed by the very institutions and individuals tasked with addressing them. Daily we witness their infuriating incompetence: They’re still discussing (and will be until this time next year) and arguing about what to do about the Easter bonfires – the Union of Municipalities, for example, categorises them as “traditional” and “self-proclaimed bonfires” (we’ve now learned how these “bad” fires identify themselves). I don’t know to what extent this is a tradition, but if so, then the hooliganism of “self-proclaimed sports fans” is also a tradition – perhaps they should legislate “rules for permissible violence” in stadiums too? The Minister of Public Order believes he will stop (even) “out-of-school” delinquency by treating it the same as “in-school” misconduct: “Poor conduct” on school leaving certificates, and violence solved!
State services failed to protect citizens from lethal airbags. Indeed, the danger continues to exist while the relevant committee conducts its investigation and while they philosophise about responsibilities in Parliament. Some companies not only fail to recognise their obligation to provide cars that aren’t death traps, in accordance with European legislation, but call the replacement a “goodwill gesture” – some even charge for it.
And the fundamental question remains: Why did the ministry and its departments conceal for over six years the 57(!) warnings from the EU? Why didn’t they protect citizens? Was it pure stupidity and incompetence or was there criminal intent? Were they serving economic interests at the expense of our safety? Either way, they’re accountable for deaths and injuries. How do young people interpret this extreme manifestation of “state violence and delinquency”?
As a… traditional Cypriot value?
