A spokesperson for the Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre) in Denmark, Lotte Rod, has voiced strong opposition to a proposed in-depth investigation into violence among primary school students, fearing it could exacerbate the problem. Rod believes that focusing on registering and investigating incidents could negatively impact children by labeling them as victims or perpetrators, thus hindering their development.

The debate arises from a proposal by opposition parties (LA, DD, K, and DF) to investigate the extent, types, causes, and consequences of violence in primary schools, including data on ethnicity. Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye (S) supports investigating the issue but finds the opposition’s proposal lacking focus on teachers and management’s roles.

Rod argues that teachers and educators should have the time and resources to understand and address the root causes of children’s behavior on an individual basis. She suggests that schools should focus on creating safe and supportive communities rather than registering violent incidents, as this approach risks locking children into fixed roles.

While acknowledging the existence of violence, Rod emphasizes the importance of pedagogy, which is based on the idea that children can change their behavior. She argues that removing a child who has committed an act of violence from the class is not a sustainable solution. Instead, she advocates for a focus on creating safe and healthy communities within schools.

When asked if she opposes any investigation into the problem, Rod said no, but that efforts should be put into taking responsibility for solving it. She believes that an investigation, particularly one focused on registering children in specific ways, would not provide helpful insights and would divert attention from the necessary support and resources for teachers and educators.

Rod suggests that violence can stem from various underlying issues, such as academic struggles, bullying, or family problems. She maintains that an investigation would only provide statistics and would not address the complexity of these issues, especially in cases of incorrect inclusion, integration problems, or home issues.