Beaten up in the yard

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Fabian (left) and his mother Sarah describe the incidents to Dominik Nepp, since when the 16-year-old no longer dares to go out alone.

(Bild: klemens groh)

The fact that he helped a girl who had been beaten was Fabian E.'s undoing. Since then, he no longer dares to leave his home alone. But violence and bullying are also on the rise at schools. A project is fighting this - with initial successes.

Fabian E. did what many adults would not do. The 16-year-old showed civil courage when he noticed a little girl being beaten by an older boy in the courtyard of his council house in the 22nd district. He intervened. "That's my sister, and I can hit her whenever I want," the 19-year-old Chechen replied. But that wasn't all.

Offended in honor?
Apparently the older brother felt his honor had been violated, so he chased E. and his friend with a second teenager and finally confronted him in a doorway. Fabian was not only beaten up there, but also cut on the arm and ear with a knife.

The crime took place in this park.

(Bild: klemens groh)

His mother Sarah E. immediately went to the police, filed a report, which is available to the "Krone", and collected evidence. Thanks to her tireless efforts, other boys who were themselves afraid of the perpetrators have since testified to the police, Sarah E. explains.

Therapy as a consequence
But the ordeal is not yet over for her son; every day, attempts are made to lure him into the yard. "My dad drives me to school and picks me up," explains the 16-year-old, who is also undergoing therapy after the crime and no longer dares to go out on his own.

No false consideration
Support comes from FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp, also in the search for a new council apartment, as the family is determined to leave. Nepp: "The madness must come to an end. No false consideration for perpetrators."

Projekt gegen Gewalt und Mobbing

„Wer gemobbt wird, will nicht mehr in die Schule“

Violence, resentment and bullying are unfortunately also commonplace in schools. A city project aims to tackle this - and is starting to have an effect.

Conflicts arise in places where many people come together in a confined space. Schools are no exception to this rule. Current statistics paint a frightening picture: the number of crimes at Vienna's schools more than doubled from 962 to 1932 between 2021 and 2023. From the fall, there will be a mandatory child protection concept at all schools in the state.

Deputy Mayors Wiederkehr and Gaál (3rd row) welcomed the pupils taking part in the "Respect" project.

(Bild: Stadt Wien/Martin VOTAVA)

Stronger together
However, the city itself is also going its own way, for example with its "Respect: Stronger Together" project, which came to an end yesterday in the town hall. This school year, ten secondary schools took part in the project in order to work with the Association of Viennese Youth Centers to provide help with problems of various kinds, such as violence and bullying, in schools - with plays or role-playing games.

"Of course bullying is an issue," says Ella Marek, an integration teacher at a secondary school in Floridsdorf. Pupils who are affected by this are not only ostracized, but are also insulted and exposed on social media after school hours. "It goes so far that they don't even come to school anymore," says the teacher.

Year 3 at a secondary school in Neubau.

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

The alpha animals
It's no different at a secondary school in the 7th district. "I know a boy from the next class who can't speak German very well yet. That's why he gets bullied," says 14-year-old Max. He himself only recently started at this school. "It was really difficult at first." According to his class teacher, however, he blossomed after a short time and became more self-confident. This is perhaps necessary, as his 3rd class is nicknamed the "wolves" and every boy wants to be the alpha dog.

"The teachers are afraid to come into our classroom," laughs one of the wolves. Six new pupils have joined this year alone. Many young people are not even aware of the damage they cause to others with their behavior. Hussain, for example, learned in the school project that many suffer in silence and don't defend themselves when they are bullied. For Amelie and most of the others, the most important lesson was cohesion, because everyone benefits from it.

Ajla and Amelie enjoyed the theater and dance the most.

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

Strengthening equal rights
But equality is also a big issue, which is particularly close to the heart of Deputy Mayor Kathrin Gaál (SPÖ). Teacher Marek: "We make sure that the number of boys and girls in a class is reasonably balanced - so that it doesn't tip in the wrong direction." Because that also happens.

Last stop: youth welfare office
If nothing else helps, the youth welfare office has to intervene. Leon's classmate, for example, had been aggressive since Year 1 at secondary school and there was no improvement - until the youth welfare office got involved two years later. The project aims to prevent such cases. Youth councillor Christoph Wiederkehr (Neos): "Violence, resentment and bullying must disappear from classrooms."