Teen’s Killing Exposes Greece’s Rising Youth Gang Violence

A 15-year-old boy was killed in a violent clash in the Athens suburb of Kallithea, police said, in a case that has sharpened concern over escalating youth gang violence across Greece.

Investigators said the fatal confrontation was linked to a turf dispute over control of a local public square.

The killing came just four days after about 40 armed youths,

The back-to-back incidents have thrust juvenile crime and the growing brutality of teenage gangs into the national spotlight, fueling alarm among parents, educators and child welfare experts.

Alexandra Kappatou, a child psychologist, said the violence reflects deeper emotional neglect, weak parental supervision and exposure to online brutality and misogynistic content.

“When primary parental bonds are fractured or abusive, peer groups step in to substitute that void,” Mrs. Kappatou said in an interview with iefimerida.

She said aggressive behavior can give traumatized young people a false sense of belonging and importance.

Mrs. Kappatou urged parents to watch for warning signs including sudden mood swings, secrecy, falling grades and refusal to accept household rules.

She said so-called democratic parenting should not be mistaken for permissiveness and that parents must still know where their children are and who they spend time with.

She also called for permanent mental health staff in all public schools, along with practical lessons on anger management, conflict resolution and empathy.

The latest violence has intensified pressure on authorities to tackle a problem that many say is no longer confined to isolated neighborhoods but is becoming a wider social crisis.

By Irene Millly

Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο iefimerida.gr

A 15-year-old boy was killed in a violent clash in the Athens suburb of Kallithea, police said, in a case that has sharpened concern over escalating youth gang violence across Greece.

Investigators said the fatal confrontation was linked to a turf dispute over control of a local public square.

The killing came just four days after about 40 armed youths, aged 14 to 17, attacked other teenagers in Peristeri’s Makrygianni Square with knives, clubs and brass knuckles.

The back-to-back incidents have thrust juvenile crime and the growing brutality of teenage gangs into the national spotlight, fueling alarm among parents, educators and child welfare experts.

Alexandra Kappatou, a child psychologist, said the violence reflects deeper emotional neglect, weak parental supervision and exposure to online brutality and misogynistic content.

“When primary parental bonds are fractured or abusive, peer groups step in to substitute that void,” Mrs. Kappatou said in an interview with iefimerida.

She said aggressive behavior can give traumatized young people a false sense of belonging and importance.

Mrs. Kappatou urged parents to watch for warning signs including sudden mood swings, secrecy, falling grades and refusal to accept household rules.

She said so-called democratic parenting should not be mistaken for permissiveness and that parents must still know where their children are and who they spend time with.

She also called for permanent mental health staff in all public schools, along with practical lessons on anger management, conflict resolution and empathy.

The latest violence has intensified pressure on authorities to tackle a problem that many say is no longer confined to isolated neighborhoods but is becoming a wider social crisis.

By Irene Millly

Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο iefimerida.gr