What exactly went into the mind of the 16-year-old who attacked his Italian teacher on Monday morning in a scientific high school in the province of Milan, armed with a hunting knife and toy gun, wounding her in the arm and head, then threatening his classmates with the pistol and finally injuring himself with the same bladed weapon, we cannot know for sure. What is certain is the profound psychological discomfort many teenagers are experiencing today, due to the recent pandemic, but not only.
“A teenager’s choice to commit an assault on the stroke of the first hour on Monday is usually the result of a complex combination of factors,” he comments. Enrico Zanalda, President of the Society of Forensic Psychiatry. “They could be hiding at the base mental disorders and/or use of substances of abuse which, especially if both are present, increase the risk of violent behaviour. Generally there is anyway a trigger such as being or believing oneself to be bullied or otherwise wronged which can trigger actions of anger and revenge».
Is it possible to predict when a threat materializes into violent action?
«Predicting when the event will materialize is extremely difficult. However, there are some warning signs that can be picked up as long as there is adequate communication between the school environment and the family environment. If the two worlds do not communicate, it is difficult to have a complete knowledge of the adolescent which allows us to predict some of these dramas. Otherwise, only explicit statements about one’s intentions can predict the dramatic episode».
What are the alarm signals that can be caught in the family and at school?
“A unjustified change by the adolescent who can manifest itself with a reduction in school performanceone increased irritabilityone less communication with others (even with peers), drastic changes in tastesL’onset of insomniamarked intolerance of rules or some timetables».
Is there something that teachers, in particular, tend to underestimate in today’s teenagers?
«The teachers are proving to be quite attentive, also considering the many hours they spend with them, demonstrating that they understand group habits. There could be some relational difficulties that the boy may have in the family and which he does not reveal in any waynot even with friends.”
Could setting up a school psychologist help?
«It could be useful, especially if the kids have agile access, perhaps anticipating individual interviews with group sessions that act as a screening. It is very important to grasp the climate of the classes and the relationships with the teachers in order to be able to offer useful tools for managing reciprocal approaches».
The boys who attended the event were passive witnesses of the violence: what could be the effects on them?
“Students who are passive witnesses of violence may develop symptoms of acute stress, including nightmares, anxiety, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Violence can create a sense of fear and insecurity among students, who may experience the school environment as insecure. In the longer term, exposure to violence can increase the risk of developing mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder.
How to intervene in these cases?
“The key to mitigating these adverse effects is early intervention debriefing to be implemented promptly in a group with a clear analysis of what happened. Very important listen to the kids and their questions about the events they witnessed».
What if debriefing isn’t enough to mitigate PTSD?
«For those children for whom the debriefing is not enough, psychotherapeutic support must be organised. Schools should have resources for psychological counseling and should encourage communication with families to identify situations of possible suffering and discomfort of children, in and out of school”.
What is the risk now for the teenager who committed this extreme act?
“Juvenile justice is restorative and one does not tend to punish but to help overcome the problem. In the specific case, I believe that the boy can risk having to stay in the community for some timebut it plays a very important role his level of cooperation which can simplify or complicate the process».
Source: Vanity Fair
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