Events like the one in Gerena last Wednesday lead us to wonder why a 19-year-old boy solves his problems with stabs. If the issue arises from an issue of jealousy among adolescents, with a very exacerbated violent sense of property, as research sources indicate, the issue becomes more than worrying when the speeches in favor of equality and respect, less on paper, they have been part of our society for some time. How could a young man reach that extreme? What are we doing wrong to make these things happen?
This newspaper has consulted with voices knowledgeable on the matter to try to answer these questions. Gema Otero, an expert in coeducation and prevention of structural violence against women since childhood, is more than used to addressing sexist violence among adolescents and young people, and gives talks about it, such as on this occasion when we accompanied her to an institute of Alcalá de Gaudaíra. Kids from many secondary schools in the province of Seville, such as the one where Aarón, murdered at just 17 years old, kept a minute of silence this Friday at mid-morning, taking a break from their school day to reject violence and defend education as a tool. key to promoting coexistence, tolerance and respect.
With caution “in the absence of an official version from the Police”, Otero considers that “we find ourselves with a case of extreme male violence exercised on a minor boy in which numerous elements appear related to a violent and dominant model of masculinity, which prefers “exercise power through violence and not through dialogue and empathy.”
Social change not only depends on an educational system that is light years away from being co-educational, but a true structural transformation is needed in all areas and institutions.
In his opinion, “to talk about ‘jealousy’ as a possible motive for this murder is to ignore the true root of a sexist culture that socializes power, control and male dominance over women, to the point of dehumanizing them and seeing them as a “property for the exclusive use of a single man, when we talk about romantic relationships, and shared use for the rest of the men when we talk about sexual exploitation of women and girls.”
According to the specialist, “the problem is structural, that is, we live in a very patriarchal and violent social system.” “As a co-educator, I am committed to co-education from the first years of life so that girls and boys learn to relate to one another based on empathy, solidarity, good treatment and equality, but social change does not only depend on an educational system that is years away. of light of being co-educational, but a true structural transformation is needed in all areas and institutions that are part of our society.”
“All social agents must assume the shared responsibility of generating new structures, practices, narratives and collective imaginaries that are committed to a peaceful culture and real and effective equality,” concludes Otero, in line with the approach, from a point of view judicial, from lawyer María Jesús Correa in this recent interview.
Work schedules compatible with family life
Amanda Martín, specialist in Child Protection at Unicef Spain, considers that situations of extreme violence like the one experienced in Gerena “have to be an alert for the entire society, in particular for families and specifically for educational centers, which is where “Boys, girls and adolescents spend the greatest number of hours outside of their homes.”
All of this means that professionals and families have access to training, consultation tools, good working conditions, external support in their municipalities, to be able to take care of their children in good conditions and have work schedules compatible with family life.
“Addressing violence involves prevention, early detection and early intervention so that boys and girls can grow, enjoy, develop, educate and play in well-treated environments where not only does violence not exist, but also that there are adults with the capabilities, the tools and the awareness of the responsibility that corresponds to them when it comes to accompanying them in their development process,” says the specialist.
For Martín, “that means, among other things, educating and teaching how to socialize and relate on equal terms, providing them with tools to manage their emotions, to explain what they need, to ask for help, to master frustration. , so that they interact with others in an empathetic way and are aware of the rules that we have all given ourselves. And all of this means that professionals and families have access to training, consultation tools, good working conditions, external support in their municipalities, to be able to take care of their children in good conditions and have work schedules compatible with family life.” .
According to the arguments of the Unicef representative, it is about parents “having time to spend with their children and investing in their education and upbringing.” At the same time, he highlights that schools do “preventive work that involves education, the generation of caring and protective environments, the creation of safe spaces where they feel comfortable and grow knowing that relationships have to be on equal terms, that violence is not a way to resolve conflicts, that equality between genders is absolute and has to be real, effective and demonstrated in the day-to-day relationships.”
The process of objectification of the human being is very strong, making it much easier for one person to commit acts of violence against another. Our society is normalizing violence
In these types of appropriate environments, it is possible to “detect risk indicators, address them immediately, accompany adolescents who have problems, establish a collaboration network with municipalities and autonomous communities so that services, professionals and support for young people reaches all of them and the families who need it in a simultaneous and coordinated manner.” “Only by investing in education, prevention, training and good conditions for families and professionals who are in the daily lives of children will it be possible to say that we are successful, we prevent violence, we prevent these tragic situations from occurring and we protect to the victims appropriately,” concludes the expert.
Violence through the Internet
For Amparo Díaz, a lawyer specialized in gender violence, “we live in a society in which the use of violence and the objectification of human beings are promoted” through “the Internet and video games,” and “they are being completely promoted.” aggressive attacks” when “one of the rights that children and adolescents especially have is the right to live free from contexts of violence”
“The problem – in his opinion – is that the context of violence is now entering us not only because of the behavior that some member of the family may have but because the Internet is bringing violence into all homes and into the daily lives of the children.” children, adolescents and young people”, also “deteriorating” the ability to empathize due to the “use of electronic devices and access to online information for so many hours”.
In that sense, “the process of objectification of the human being is very strong, making it much easier for one person to commit acts of violence against another. “Our society is normalizing violence, the objectification of human beings and behaviors of contempt, humiliation and aggression towards other people, especially women and girls, but also towards boys and adult men,” says the lawyer.
Source: www.eldiario.es
