EDITORIAL — Deadly school violence

Just days into the opening of classes, violence has erupted in a private school in General Trias City, Cavite.

A 14-year-old girl in eighth grade reportedly went down to a classroom of fifth graders and began stabbing students with a kitchen knife. Seven students landed in a hospital for stab wounds, with two needing surgery in a larger medical facility.

The girl is undergoing mental health evaluation and being assessed for appropriate intervention. Being below 15 years old, she is exempt from criminal liability under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. Police, citing ongoing investigation, have declined to disclose the reason for her rampage.

It’s not the first serious case of violence among schoolchildren. In March last year, a 14-year-old eighth grader in a public school in Parañaque stabbed dead his female classmate, also age 14. The boy said the victim and their other classmates had been bullying him.

A month later, two Grade 8 students were stabbed to death by three Grade 9 students outside their school in Las Piñas. One was stabbed in the neck and the other in the chest.

What inspires teenage students to resort to lethal violence can only be left to conjecture. In several countries, governments are pinning part of the blame on social media use, and have imposed restrictions on youth access, with 16 years old emerging as the favored cutoff age.

Some youth welfare advocates, however, are also warning about the risks in imposing such restrictions.

There are many other factors that contribute to school violence and bullying, beginning with a troubled home environment.

The country has gained notoriety for being a global bullying capital, with the problem being blamed for the dismal performance of Filipino 15-year-old students in the Program for International Student Assessment.

Schools are mandated to provide mental health services, but the needed skills and resources are acutely lacking. The latest deadly violence among teenage students in Cavite should bring home the urgency of addressing mental health issues.