The stabbing of a teacher by a 14-year-old student in France earlier this year was just the latest in a series of shocking school attacks. In just two months, 186 knives were confiscated during bag checks at schools. We follow the police, parents and educators trying to stop the stabbings and speak to the teenagers who feel the need to be so heavily armed…
Hammers, machetes, baseball bats. Gone are the days when a punch was enough to settle a fight. “When we’re out in a group, one of us always has a knife.” states one teenager. “You have to be ready”.
It’s no longer just about winning a fight against a rival gang, it’s now about doing as much harm as possible. “We get the feeling that life has no value for these young people, they are ready to kill for a look, for a provocation on social media, they don’t care about taking someone’s life”, says one policeman.
On Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok Information and provocations circulate at the speed of light. As well as exposing young people to often very violent images, social media also increasingly propagates a toxic masculinity that can disturb the most fragile teenagers. When Adama Camara’s younger brother was stabbed to death, he opened fire on the murderer’s brother and friends. After serving time in prison, he now tours schools trying to persuade teenagers not to make the same mistake. Meanwhile other parents are enrolling their children in knife-training self defence courses.