The war did not make them kinder: a new case of cruelty among teenagers in the Kirovohrad region
Despite the war, which supposedly should have taught the young generation to sympathize and support each other, Ukraine is once again faced with another manifestation of teenage cruelty. In recent years, similar stories appear more and more often in the information space, and each new case only increases anxiety about the moral condition of the so-called “children of war”. The same teenagers who grew up listening to sirens in a world of destruction, loss, danger and instability, but that didn’t make their hearts any more compassionate. Another incident that happened in Kirovohrad Oblast reminds us once again that war leaves traces not only in destroyed buildings, but also in children’s psyche.
Beating of a girl in Novomyrhorod
On June 14, a group of teenagers in the city of Novomyrhorod, Kirovohrad region attacked on a girl The beating was accompanied by the attackers filming their actions on a mobile phone. Subsequently, this video appeared on social networks, where it was noticed by the employees of the juvenile prevention department of the police.
The very next day, the information about the incident was confirmed by the spokeswoman of the police of the Kirovohrad region, Vitalina Bevzenko. According to her, all participants in the incident were promptly identified. Currently, teenagers are under the control of law enforcement agencies, and psychologists are involved in working with them.
So far, the law enforcement officers classify this case as bullying, that is, systematic harassment, intimidation, physical or psychological violence by one or a group of persons against another child. The police note that as of June 15, the department had not received any official statements from the injured party or her parents. Nevertheless, the investigation is ongoing, and its course is under the supervision of juvenile prevention units.
What is bullying and what are its consequences
Bullying is not just an argument or conflict between children. By definition, it is a systematic form of aggression accompanied by humiliation, threats, intimidation and often physical violence. Its consequences for the child’s psyche can be extremely dangerous. As practical psychologist Yulia Nikitina explains, victims of bullying can develop various psycho-emotional disorders. After experiencing violence, children often suffer from post-traumatic stress, they develop a depressed mood, anxiety, and low self-esteem, which complicates further social contacts and the formation of trust in others. In other words, one trauma in childhood can destroy the whole subsequent life.
Such consequences are especially dangerous in conditions where children have been living in a situation of constant danger, fear and uncertainty due to war for a long time. Children’s psyche, weakened by war, is even more traumatized in cases of bullying, and these factors combined can form a dangerous psychological background for an entire generation.
Legal responsibility for bullying in Ukraine
In Ukraine, bullying is officially recognized as an administrative offense and is regulated by Article 173-4 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. Several types of punishment are provided for: fines, community or correctional work.
Depending on the circumstances, fines in the amount of 850 to 1,700 hryvnias may be imposed for bullying. If the bullied child is under the age of 16, his parents or guardians will be held responsible. In this case, sanctions are applied specifically to adults who are responsible for the upbringing and behavior of a minor.
Serhiy Bocharnikov, head of the Juvenile Prevention Department, spoke about these legal aspects. According to him, the practice of bringing parents to justice in such cases is actively used in Ukraine, since it is adults who must ensure proper control over the behavior of their children.
Children of war: complex moral situation of modern teenage Ukraine
Today, cases of teenage violence in Ukraine are not isolated. Many psychologists, social workers and teachers note that the war revealed and intensified these negative tendencies. Children of war grow up in the reality of constant psychological tension: they see destroyed cities, lose friends or relatives, study in bomb shelters, live in a regime of constant threat. For some teenagers, this leads to a loss of empathy, aggravation of aggressiveness, a desire to demonstrate power or superiority over the weaker.
Such acts of violence are often recorded both in school groups and outside the school. It is especially dangerous that teenagers themselves often demonstrate a complete lack of awareness of the consequences of their actions. They film the beating on video, post it on social media, turning the violence into a show. Social platforms are becoming a new platform for public humiliation of victims, which only increases the psychological trauma.
Each new case of teenage aggression is a signal of deeper problems that are already shaping the future of society in post-war Ukraine. The lessons of war do not become a safeguard for brutality. On the contrary, in conditions of general tension, some teenagers lose their sense of the limits of what is permitted, and the lack of education, control, and professional psychological help only deepens these processes.
The state, schools, families, social services, law enforcement agencies — all of them should respond more actively to such manifestations. The longer society remains indifferent to such cases, the more difficult it will be to instill a basic culture of mutual respect among children and youth in Ukraine.
