In Finland, where a colleague developed a similar program (with a lot more funds than we in Austria), after three years 80% of all schools have taken part.

“I’m afraid that has a lot to do with the culture in Austria,” said Spiel. “In Finland, where a colleague has developed a similar program (with a lot more funds than we in Austria), after three years 80% of all schools have taken part. Something like that would be unthinkable in Austria. “

“Too many teachers feel like lone fighters”

A prerequisite for this kind of violence prevention across schools is that the teachers see themselves as a team. That is hardly the case in Austria either. “Unfortunately, too many teachers still feel they are lone warriors,” says the expert, who in turn finds confirmation from Hausmann in practice: Even the headmistress gives little or no support, on the contrary, their actions are rather inconsistent.

»In almost 90 percent, classmates are witnesses, but only intervene in around 20 percent. However, if action is taken, almost 60 percent of incidents can be ended immediately. ”

Bullying always affects the whole group

But not only teachers, but also students are always part of a group, which is why it is also important to see, according to Spiel, that bullying is a group phenomenon in which not just a single student but every single group member is involved: “In almost 90 percent classmates are witnesses, but only intervene in about 20 percent. However, if action is taken, almost 60 percent of the incidents can be ended immediately. ”Timo Steyer already wants to recognize a tendency in this direction:“ In my opinion, the trend is more in the direction that students stand up for one another. ”Through peer mediation (a pedagogical method in which students resolve conflicts themselves) the students would also learn the correct “how” in this context.

Too few social workers

In general, this is something that the head of the school increasingly wishes for: “Projects like buddy systems or peer mediation must definitely be promoted” and so is it

urgently more support staff

in the form of social workers as well as school psychological support. According to Hausmann, precisely this support staff was not even rudimentary available during her apprenticeship in Vienna. And even now there is just one social worker for the whole school. Yes, the necessary use of school psychologists and social workers is “numerically very small in contrast to other countries”, Spiel confirms one of the many problems in this field.

“In truth, these are unseen children.”

Prevention, teacher community, peer programs, social workers. So these are the things that teachers, students and experts want to curb violence in Austria’s schools. And how do you rate them

Proposals by the Vienna FPÖ such as educational camps for problem pupils

123helpme account cancellation, Prison visits with these resp.

tougher sanctions

? “In my opinion it is counterproductive to put conspicuous students in their own camps or to punish them with other measures.” Steyer waves away and Viktoria Hausmann can only shake her head: “No! Children just need attention and love. Those who are like that just want to be seen. In truth, these are unseen children. “

Literature tips on the topic:

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Further links and information:

– The

WiSK program

–

Fistless

is a program to prevent violence in schools. In addition to refraining from physical violence, the aim of the program is to treat each other fairly on a verbal level.

–

Samara

is an association for the prevention of (sexualized) violence and offers, for example, violence prevention workshops for children and young people as well as for educators or information evenings for parents

–

No blame approach

(literally “approach without assignment of blame”) relies on refraining from assigning blame and punishments in spite of the serious bullying problem and ending bullying among students promptly and sustainably. The association offers training, education and training as well as advice and support.

– The

Association for school mediation

helps to resolve conflicts in schools and is professional mediation by mediators with many years of experience in basic professions in social, educational and legal areas.

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People are scared

An adjacent fruit wholesale center is also closed. There are mangoes, melons and other fruits worth more than 100,000 yuan (about 13,000 euros) that are rotting outside. A fruit trader named Fang complains that the town’s lockdown has ruined her livelihood. “Of course I’m scared,” she says, pointing to the two face masks she wears on top of each other while packing apples that are intended for residential areas. “But I haven’t made any money in the last three months.”

Children do not see

Fang starts to cry when she thinks about her children. They went back to their hometown after the New Year celebrations in January. She won’t be able to see them for weeks, despite the end of travel restrictions, as she has to stay in Wuhan and sell fruit. “The stocks may not run out until June at the earliest,” says Fang, who does not want her full name to be given.

Companies are working again

The attitudes of the residents of Wuhan differ. Some are very proud of their government. Others complain that the aid was not enough. In any case, the capital of Hubei Province is still a long way from normal. After all, a number of companies have now resumed their work. From April 8, the residents should be able to leave their town, which has been sealed off for weeks.

Also positive voices

Hu Yanfang, who oversaw the unpacking of boxes of protective equipment and food in her housing estate, is rather positive. “It’s a lot better now,” she says. She shares how she has campaigned for neighborhood help and disinfection of the area over the past two months. She thanks the government for providing protective equipment such as masks. “It gives me the feeling that our country is strong – just look at countries like Europe,” she says, pointing to the sharp rise in infection and death rates in countries like Italy and Spain.

“The feeling that someone cares”

Then she points to a delivery of pork ribs that were delivered in the trunk of a taxi and are to be sold to residents at less than half the market price. “The government helped us get that,” she said. Another resident, Yu Tianhong, agrees. “It shows how the government supports and loves those who stayed home,” she says. “It’s not just about the meat and the money. It makes us feel like someone cares about us.”

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There are already time-out classes

In Austria, the time-out class model is already being used in some cases. In Carinthia, for example, school projects on time-out groups have been running at individual locations since the 2007/08 school year. There, five to seven students between six weeks and one school year are taught in separate “support groups” at elementary schools and NMS. They have severe socio-emotional disorders and deficits, but no special educational needs, i.e. no physical or psychological limitations. In addition to teachers for whom special training courses are offered, they are also looked after by special or social pedagogues. Psychologists and child and youth psychiatrists are also involved in educational planning.

Crime scene school: how brutal is it really?

The teachers’ union has given its general approval to the planned measure, after all it has been regularly included in their catalogs of demands since the late 1990s. Experts, however, are skeptical: you can only prevent violence or bullying in the class in the long term if you start with the whole class or school, emphasizes educational psychologist Christiane Spiel in an Ö1 interview. In the “Standard”, sociologist Kenan Güngör warns that time-out classes would tempt problem pupils to be pushed into separate classes and not even seek long-term solutions.

Timeout classes are also rejected by the NEOS: “That doesn’t work just because you put problem cases in your own classes.” This would only postpone problems. The FPÖ pursues a completely different approach: It demands education camps for “violent problem students”. It is “primarily about the protection and safety of all decent and good students who should not be impaired in their learning progress,” said the Lower Austrian regional party leader Udo Landbauer in a broadcast. Parents of violent students should be asked to pay financially – with at least 660 euros.

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The Ministry of Education has announced the introduction of so-called time-out classes

In the course of the debate on the

Conflict at a Vienna HTL

There are already time-out classes

Crime scene school: how brutal is it really?

The teachers’ union has given its general approval to the planned measure, after all it has been regularly included in their catalogs of demands since the late 1990s.