Videos of teens beating, humiliating each other circulating at 62% of Dutch high schools
Violent videos of teenagers assaulting or humiliating each other are circulating at 62 percent of secondary schools in the Netherlands, Pointer found in a study done with DUO-Education.
Pointer and DUO surveyed 252 secondary school principals about their experiences with violent videos over the past two years. Six percent said they’ve encountered over ten such videos. 87 percent of schools said the videos cause unrest and tension in the school. 79 percent said students feel less safe.
The videos are typically shared on Snapchat and TikTok. The images are quickly seen by many people, making it even more difficult for victims to move on from the events. At 34 percent of schools, victims were absent from school for long periods. At 22 percent, the victims changed schools. Pointer spoke to several victims. They describe persistent nightmares and being scared to leave the house, sometimes even years later.
The perpetrators and the victims are not always students at the school where the video is circulating. Sometimes, only one or the other attends the school. The surveyed school principals reported that perpetrators were suspended (72 percent) or expelled (30 percent).
In some cases, victims press charges and perpetrators face criminal law. According to Carlo Dronkers, a youth prosecutor at the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the phenomenon stems from peer pressure, which teenagers are particularly susceptible to. “Something has happened, and it has damaged their self-esteem. This then makes the perpetrators feel they have to respond,” he said. "It's an additional way for young people to show that you won't be messed with."
Young people prosecuted for violent videos are often given community service and suspended prison sentences. According to Dronkers, this is consistent with juvenile justice. “We know from research that young people’s brain development is complete around age 23, and that only then can they fully grasp the consequences of their actions,” he said. “That means there’s a hefty price tag attached to young people making this mistake, but it’s one that also gives them the chance to get their life back on track.”
Freya Sixma, a spokesperson for the secondary education council VO-Raad, recognizes the results. She hopes that politicians will start paying structural attention to social safety online and offline, and not just sporadically after incidents. “We call on politicians to invest even more in a preventive approach. This must be addressed collectively; youth work organizations can play an important role in collaboration with schools,” she told Pointer.
