President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Nevzat Tarhan, made notable evaluations regarding the recently increasing violence cases on the Cansu Canan Özgen ile Yeni Sayfa (New Page) program, broadcast live on Show TV.
For youth, violence has virtually turned into a performance
Emphasizing that violence cases, once seen as isolated incidents, are now more frequent and visible, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Such cases were seen to a certain extent before; however, they were usually exceptional and isolated incidents. Today, we see that this rate has significantly increased. There are many reasons for this. Especially for youth, violence has ceased to be an act and has virtually transformed into a performance. Applying violence has become a show of strength and a means of self-assertion for some young people; it emerges as a way of conveying the message ‘I am strong’.”
Evaluating this situation, Prof. Tarhan stated that it is necessary to consider the psychosocial background of young people exhibiting antisocial behavior, adding, “We can say that there is currently a serious ‘moral panic’ in Türkiye. Feelings of distrust, anger, fear, and helplessness are becoming increasingly widespread in society.”
“We see that feelings of worthlessness mostly come to the fore in these children”
“When we look at how these children are raised, we mostly see that feelings of worthlessness come to the fore. Children who feel worthless may try to compensate for this feeling with a show of strength,” Prof. Tarhan continued:
“Children who are not listened to at home, where family ties are weak or a safe environment is absent, and who are constantly humiliated and devalued, carry this risk more. Furthermore, violent behaviors are observed to develop in children who witness violence or are direct victims of violence. We used to see such cases mostly in clinics and legal incidents; now they have become more widespread. This is also serious.”
The oppressed at home oppresses the weak outside
Prof. Tarhan noted that individuals who are somehow oppressed at home tend to oppress the weak outside to feel strong, stating, “Unfortunately, this understanding of ‘the strong oppressing the weak’ has gradually begun to spread in our culture. However, this approach is defined as the ‘law of the jungle’ and is more commonly seen in underdeveloped societies. In the wisdom of Anatolia, there is no such value system. Respect is fundamental in our culture.
For example, in the past, even individuals who had committed serious crimes in prisons or legal settings would show respect when an elderly person entered the room, stand up, and button their shirts. This was an indicator of a deep-rooted cultural reflex,” he said.
Stating that American culture is being modeled, Prof. Tarhan said, “Let me tell you, we have modeled antisocial tendencies in America. We have modeled the culture of violence; there is a serious poisoning of us by popular culture here. Young people are under its influence, and families cannot protect their children.”
“We see that feelings of shame and compassion are weakening among youth in society”
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan also pointed out that young people who commit violence have a feeling of "I am strong, he is defenseless," adding, “We see that the feelings of shame and compassion are weakening among youth in society. Such incidents have become seriously commonplace and are increasingly widespread. This tendency becomes more pronounced especially in children in the risk group. Of course, not every at-risk child exhibits such behaviors; however, the likelihood of aggressive behaviors increasing is higher in children at risk. The presence of negative role models and the fact that such behaviors often go unpunished strengthens the idea of ‘nothing will happen anyway’ or ‘I’ll spend a few days inside and get out’. This both increases desensitization and fuels violent behaviors.”
Prof. Tarhan stated that the sense of empathy in children is weakening, saying, “We witness that empathy cannot be established even towards an elderly person in a difficult situation on the street. Yet, empathy is a learned skill. A child learns this at home and at school. But it is absent...”
“The broken sense of justice within the family needs to be rebuilt”
Touching upon changes in family structure, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, “The role of families in this process is also quite striking. In some cases, we see that parents unknowingly support these behaviors. In such situations, we talk about an approach we call ‘justice restoration’; that is, the broken sense of justice within the family needs to be rebuilt. It seems that individuals grow up without learning to respect the rights of others or the balance of rights and laws within the family. Previously, the family taught this; now, digital media and screens teach it more. The family has ceased to be a safe space; the family has even started raising criminals. This is, of course, a global disease, and it is experienced more severely in our country.”
“When there is a lack of empathy, all evils find a way”
“Technology accelerates our lives, but values guide our lives. There are universal human values. When there is a lack of empathy, all evils find a way,” said Prof. Tarhan, adding, “Role models also carry great importance here. If examples of the strong oppressing the weak are prominent in a society, children will model this. The thought ‘if adults do this, I can do it too’ develops. Similarly, children growing up in an environment where harshness, intimidation, and defiance are rewarded will adopt these behaviors over time as a problem-solving method. Social media also has a significant impact in this process. However, this impact becomes more pronounced especially on children in the risk group; children not at risk are affected to a more limited extent by these influences.”
Empathy education has begun in schools in the USA
Stating that the USA is the country where school violence behavior is rapidly spreading, Prof. Tarhan continued, “In the USA, violent incidents have increased by 300% compared to the 10 years before 2023. They are currently taking measures to address this. In statistics taken in 2025, after 2023, there is a 20% decrease. What are they doing? They are giving ‘Social Emotional Learning’ classes in schools. Social emotional learning classes… They teach empathy, respect for others' rights, sharing, anger management, and gratitude. In other words, they teach virtue ethics. Currently, the West is teaching this with scientific methodology. Especially in places experiencing cultural degradation, and even in the USA, ‘Social Emotional Learning (SEL)’ high schools are being opened. They rehabilitate individuals who cause problems there. Punishments do not solve this problem. These children should be taken to rehabilitation centers and undergo education. Risk groups should be identified to prevent new cases.”
Rehabilitation centers should be educational and restorative, not punitive
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan noted that protective approaches should be handled in three stages, stating, “Under primary protection, psychological resilience development studies are carried out in healthy groups. Today, we primarily educate children to be intelligent and hardworking; however, alongside this, we also need to teach them to be moral and virtuous individuals through systematic and scientific methods. Some steps are being taken in this regard, but it is essential to implement this in a more planned and sustainable manner. In the second stage, risk groups need to be correctly identified. Children at risk should not be identified and then left to their own devices. It is important to direct these children to appropriate rehabilitation programs. If necessary, empathy training should be provided for a certain period, for example, for several months. This process should not be considered complete without internalizing the answer to the question, ‘How would you feel if this behavior was done to you or your family?’ Tertiary protection aims to prevent recurrence after an incident has occurred. At this point, effective methods and scientific solutions are available. However, rehabilitation centers should be structured with an educational and restorative approach, not a punitive one. A rehabilitation center cannot be like a concentration camp. There are methods and solutions to prevent recurrence after an incident has occurred,” he concluded.
