VietNamNet Bridge – The escalation of school violence has been partially blamed on the people’s indifference. Students believe that it is not their business to intervene in others’ business.

A survey on school violence in Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh province showed that 22.6 percent of students said they stood on the site and “watched” what happened, while 36.5 percent of students said they reported the cases to teachers.

About 5.4 percent of students reportedly shot pictures and filmed the fights, while 7.3 percent of students cheered the fighting. At least 30.9 percent of students left the “site” because they believed this was the best solution to ensure their safety.

Hanoi students also showed similar responses in school violence cases. Dat, a 10th grader at Yen Hoa High School in Cau Giay district, told reporters that he would try to dissuade fighters from battling only if the fighters were his close friends.

“If they are not my classmates, I will not care about the case,” he said.

“It would be better not to report the cases to teachers, because the fighters will hate you and beat you after they are punished by the teachers,” he said.

Phong, an 11th grader at the same school, said no one would be “foolish” enough to intervene in the fighting, because they could become the “alternative” victims.

“It would be better not to get involved in the fights,” Hoang Phuong, a secondary school student said. “You harm yourself once if you poke your nose into others’ business.”

Meanwhile, Dung, a physics major student at the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, said: “I try to dissuade them from fighting first, and report to teachers as the last resort”.

Huong, an English major student at the same school, said that she would not do anything that could cause danger to herself.

“We are told during morality lessons that we have to advise them (the fighters) and stop the fighting. But this is really very dangerous,” Huong said.

Many parents have expressed serious concerns about school violence, which they said has been escalating in recent years. However, they do not offer solutions to the problem.

“I always tell my daughter to keep away from fights, or she will suffer,” said Nguyen Hoang Hoa, an office worker.

Hoa said she once saw a fight near a primary school and then phoned the police. “That was all what I could do,” she said. “I did not dare to go closer to the crowd.”

Dat Viet