A proposal to map violence among primary school students is facing criticism for potentially worsening the problem by locking children into roles as perpetrators or victims. This concern was raised by Lotte Rod, a spokesperson for the Radical party, in a recent interview.

Daniella Alexandra Balagul, a board member of the Liberal Alliance’s Youth in Frederiksberg, argues that avoiding the investigation of violence in schools will not make the problem disappear; instead, it will only allow it to grow. She questions whether Rod’s concerns about stigmatizing the perpetrator outweigh the importance of helping those subjected to violence.

Balagul contends that failing to hold children accountable for their actions, even when explanations exist for their behavior, removes their responsibility and hinders their development into independent and sensible individuals. She emphasizes the importance of teaching children that their actions have consequences.

Rod believes that violence can be attributed to factors such as academic difficulties, overwhelmed teachers, or family issues like divorce. Balagul cautions against treating these explanations as excuses, as this undermines individual accountability.

Balagul states that mapping violence is a positive step and that teaching children about the consequences of their actions is crucial. She disagrees with Rod’s belief that such investigations will lock children into roles as perpetrators, arguing that children lock themselves into those roles through their actions and can step out of them by taking responsibility.

Balagul concludes that children can only develop when they are held accountable for their actions.