School violence should not be seen as a sudden, unpredictable incident but rather as a gradual process that can be identified and prevented early, according to experts evaluating recent attacks in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa.
“School violence is not a sudden explosion but a process that develops beforehand. If detected early, it can be prevented,” Psychiatrist Professor Nevzat Tarhan, founding rector of Üsküdar University, said.
According to Tarhan, studies show 70–80 percent of perpetrators exhibit prior signals, such as social withdrawal, threatening language, intense anger and planning behavior.
He emphasized that prevention should focus on early intervention and social-emotional learning, including empathy, impulse control and anti-bullying programs.
Experts say a combination of social, psychological and environmental factors is contributing to rising concerns over youth violence.
Child and adolescent psychiatrist Professor Gökşin Karaman said adolescents often struggle to cope with multiple pressures from family, peers and social media.
“Isolation increases aggression. When a young person feels excluded and unsupported, it can reinforce the perception that they have been ‘written off,’ which may escalate problematic behaviors,” Karaman said.
He warned that quiet or withdrawn behavior should not be overlooked, adding that “a child being silent does not mean there is no problem — it may mean there is no connection.”
Similarly, child and adolescent psychiatrist Yakup Erdoğan underlined that warning signs can include sudden behavioral changes, intense anger, defiance of authority, social withdrawal and fixation on violent content.
He noted that social exclusion can push adolescents to seek visibility through violence, particularly when combined with exposure to violent media and digital environments.
Clinical psychologist Aybeniz Yıldırım stressed that school violence must be understood as a multi-layered issue, involving individual emotional struggles, family dynamics, school environment and broader societal influences.
“The issue goes beyond physical security measures like guards or detectors,” Yıldırım said. “The key is identifying risk early, building healthy relationships and addressing underlying psychological and social causes.”
