Vienna is fighting for safety: school psychologists urgently wanted!

Vienna is fighting for safety: school psychologists urgently wanted!

Now there is movement in the debate about safety at schools in Austria! The tragic rampage in Graz, in which a 21-year-old killed ten people at his former school within seven minutes and then committed suicide, caused a nationwide stir. This was the first act of violence on such a shocking scale at a school in Austria and calls for urgent measures in school psychological care, which are already on the table in Vienna. As meinkreis.at reports, City Councilor for Education Bettina Emmerling is pushing for an increased focus on school psychology.

But what does this actually mean for the students? According to Emmerling, there is an acute shortage of staff in the field of school psychology, which has a negative impact on the support of children and young people. A school psychologist is currently responsible for up to 9,670 students - a situation that is like a red flag for a committed school community.

The urgency of prevention

The events in Graz not only moved people's hearts, but also caused a rethink in security and prevention policy. After all, many schools already have plans for dealing with emergencies, but these have never really been actively used. A closer look at psychosocial care shows that there is an urgent need for action: assuming psychological help is used by every fifth student, that would be almost 2,000 children per specialist rnd.de. There needs to be a rethink here! It is not only important to strengthen physical safety measures, but also to support students' mental health.

Psychosocial support is intended to help prevent violent attacks and create a positive school climate. Children have a right to a safe, violence-free life, which should start at school. According to schulpsychologie.at, violence and discrimination can only be effectively combated through a common basic attitude and a zero-tolerance policy. Violence prevention should deal intensively with children's fears and fantasies in order to improve the learning environment.

Measures and future outlook

In response to the tragic events, the Association of Austrian Security Companies (VSÖ) is actively involved in the discussion about security measures, according to meinbezirk.at. University reforms and structural changes are also an issue: Emmerling suggests equipping schools with access restrictions and modern locking systems without turning them into “fortresses”. Schools should remain safe places to meet, not places to retreat from fear.

In summary, it remains to be said that the current situation cannot simply be accepted. Vienna and all of Austria are faced with the challenge of focusing on both the physical safety and mental health of students. It's about more than just safety; it's about the future of our children. The steps must be taken quickly, because something is happening!