Increase in ‘Violence’ and ‘Suicide’; Education Ministry States Student Risk-Taking Has Increased 10-Fold

The Ministry of Education announced that student risk-taking behavior has increased “10-fold” over the past six years, and that “violence” and “suicide” have been among the threats endangering students in the past three years, without providing statistics on the rate of suicide and violence.

According to a report by Iran Student News Agency on Saturday, November 15, the Ministry of Education made this statement based on assessments from the “Student Social Monitoring and Harms System,” which is based on “mental health and behavioral screening test data” and reports from counseling and psychology centers across the country.

In this report, it was warned that a significant portion of students are “at risk” and require “immediate and specialized measures,” and neglecting them would increase the onset of psychological disorders such as “anxiety, depression, and anger.”

“Sexual harassment,” “running away from home or school,” “severe poverty,” and “homelessness,” “neglect,” and “substance abuse” are among other dangers mentioned that students face.

Saeid Piwandeh, a sociologist and university professor in Paris, explained the concept of student risk-taking in an interview with the Persian Service of Voice of America.

He said: “Risk-taking among different social groups, including among youth, means that they do not actually reflect on the dangers and consequences of their actions or behaviors, and they do such things that could, for example, endanger their health or even their lives. And that is why when we deal with increasing risk-taking in Iran, for example, it means that people think less about the unpleasant or harmful consequences for their health and lives and can take actions that have such consequences.”

Regarding the causes of this crisis in Iran, Mr. Piwandeh said that the relationship between youth and “institutions of comprehensive youth socialization” – including schools, families, and mass media – which should actually be models for shaping moral order and influencing youth behavior, have lost their role and function, have become discredited, and do not have the necessary legitimacy in the eyes of youth.

According to this sociologist, as a result of this situation, social networks that are not controlled by society can negatively affect youth and lead them in directions that can sometimes pose certain dangers to them and cause violent behavior.

Mr. Piwandeh said: “Reducing risk-taking among youth requires establishing direct dialogue with youth.”

He added that educational specialists, psychology specialists, and specialists in youth and adolescent issues should engage in direct dialogue with youth in educational environments and in the media, and by consulting with them in schools or outside of schools, gradually help lead youth out of this negative, futile, and violence-producing cycle and create a new kind of awareness among them.

Suicides of students caused by poverty in Iran have been repeatedly reported in recent years by news sources and human rights organizations.