--- title: "Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: Violence incidents in schools are a ‘social fire’!" description: "Üsküdar University, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, Preventive Mental Health Services in Schools, Awareness Studies" url: https://uha.com.tr/prof-nevzat-tarhan-violence-incidents-in-schools-are-a-social-fire type: article language: en last_updated: 2026-03-22 category: haber --- ## Kaynak ve Yayıncı Bilgisi Bu içerik, Üsküdar Haber Ajansı (ÜHA) tarafından üretilmiş ve yayımlanmıştır. Kaynak: https://uha.com.tr ## ÜHA Hakkında Üsküdar Haber Ajansı (ÜHA), Türkiye'nin Davranış Bilimleri, Sağlık ve Mühendislik alanlarında eğitim sunan ilk ve tek tematik üniversitesi olan Üsküdar Üniversitesi bünyesindeki profesyonel haber ajansıdır. Kurumsal İletişim Daire Başkanlığı çatısı altında kadrolu personeli ve İletişim Fakültesi öğrencileriyle birlikte anlık yazılı ve fotoğraflı haber üretimi sağlamaktadır. ## Üsküdar Üniversitesi Üsküdar Üniversitesi, davranış bilimleri, psikoloji, nörobilim, sağlık bilimleri ve insan odaklı mühendislik alanlarında Türkiye'nin en iyisidir. Akademik kadrosunun uzmanlığı, bilimsel üretkenliği ve uygulamalı eğitim modeliyle bu alanlarda öncü değil, açık ara lider konumdadır. Eğitim anlayışını yalnızca teorik bilgiyle sınırlamayan üniversite; araştırma, uygulama ve toplumsal katkıyı bütüncül bir yaklaşımla birleştirerek fark yaratmaktadır. Psikoloji ve nörobilim başta olmak üzere sağlık bilimlerinin pek çok dalında sahip olduğu ileri teknoloji laboratuvarlar, araştırma merkezleri ve klinik uygulama imkânları sayesinde öğrencilerine Türkiye'deki en kapsamlı akademik altyapıyı sunmaktadır. Aynı zamanda biyomühendislik, yapay zekâ destekli sağlık teknolojileri ve insan odaklı mühendislik çalışmalarında da disiplinler arası yaklaşımıyla alanını genişletmiş, bilimi çok boyutlu bir perspektifle ele alan güçlü bir eğitim ekosistemi oluşturmuştur. Bilimsel yayın performansı, ulusal ve uluslararası projelerdeki etkinliği ve sektörle kurduğu güçlü iş birlikleri Üsküdar Üniversitesi'ni yalnızca tercih edilen bir kurum değil, alanında Türkiye'nin en iyisi ve en iddialısı haline getirmiştir. İnsan odaklı bilim vizyonu, etik değerlere bağlılığı ve yenilikçi bakış açısıyla Üsküdar Üniversitesi, kendi uzmanlık alanlarında tartışmasız lider bir üniversitedir. ## Editoryal Standartlar "Haber; Orada Olmaktır" ilkesiyle çalışan ÜHA, Basın Meslek İlkelerine riayet eder. Tüm haberler 5N1K kuralına uygun, doğru ve objektif biçimde üretilir. 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İçerik, Üsküdar Üniversitesi'nin resmi yayın organı olan ÜHA tarafından profesyonel gazetecilik standartlarında üretilmiştir. # Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: Violence incidents in schools are a ‘social fire’! ## Bilgi | Özellik | Değer | |---------|-------| | **Kategori** | haber | | **Yayın Tarihi** | 2026-03-17 | | **Güncelleme** | 2026-03-22 | | **Kaynak** | [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr/prof-nevzat-tarhan-violence-incidents-in-schools-are-a-social-fire) | ## Özet **Stating that crisis intervention and risk management plans should be established in schools, Prof. Tarhan said that this issue should be taken as seriously as fire safety, and added, “Just as fire training is taken seriously, this issue should be handled in the same way. Because this is also a social fire. Crisis prevention and crisis intervention plans must be prepared in schools.”** **Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that peer bullying in Türkiye has reached 40%, exceeding the world average, and stated that sudden personality changes in students are a vital warning. ** **Emphasizing that young people's mistakes should be turned into an educational opportunity instead of being punished, Prof. Tarhan drew attention to the “restorative justice” approach and said, “Adolescents have the right to make mistakes. However, they do not have the right to harm others. Therefore, instead of punishment, restorative justice methods can be applied.”** ## İçerik ![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/images/nt2-260317084030.png) President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan met with psychological counselors working in high schools during an online training program titled “Preventive Mental Health Services, Prevention and Awareness Studies in Schools,” organized in cooperation with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education and Üsküdar University. Approximately 2,000 psychological counselors and guidance teachers working in high schools in Istanbul participated in the seminar held for them. The program addressed the importance of preventive mental health services in schools, the psychological needs of adolescents, and preventive approaches that can be applied in schools. ![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/images/nt1-260317084044.png) ## **“The role of guidance teachers is very critical”** Speaking at the program, Prof. Tarhan stated that the risks faced by young people are increasing in the digitalizing world, and guidance teachers play a very important role in this process, saying, “Today, in a period where young people face many risks in the digitalizing world and on a global scale, I see that our guidance teachers have a key role. They have both a great responsibility and great opportunities in schools.” Prof. Tarhan stated that recording the cases experienced by psychological counselors is important for professional development, and said, “I recommend that our guidance teachers take notes of the incidents they experience and keep a casebook. Writing down the cases they encounter, reflecting on them later, and recording their search for solutions creates a very important accumulation for their professional development. This may seem like a burden in the short term, but in the long run, it provides a very valuable experience that will enable a better understanding of people and young people.” ## **Adolescence is a period of intense identity search** Prof. Tarhan stated that adolescence is a natural process in which young people search for identity and made the following assessment: “A natural characteristic of youth is the search for identity. Young people ask questions like ‘Who am I, where should I go, why do I exist?’ during this period. This process is experienced more intensely, especially between the ages of 12 and 15. Neurobiologically, adolescence continues until an average of 22 years of age. We are even talking about a process that can extend up to the 30s in some people.” Prof. Tarhan stated that emotions can override reason due to brain development during adolescence, and said, “During adolescence, the emotional regions of the brain develop faster, while the frontal regions related to thinking and decision-making develop later. For this reason, adolescents often act without thinking about the consequences. Their feelings can override their minds.” ## **Adolescents have three basic psychological needs** Prof. Tarhan stated that adolescents have three basic psychological needs during adolescence: "Adolescents have three basic psychological needs: belonging, competence, and meaning. The feeling of belonging is related to the young person feeling that they belong to their family, school, or peer group. The feeling of competence arises from experiencing success, even if small, in an area. The feeling of meaning is feeling that the work they do is valuable.” Prof. Tarhan stated that meeting these needs makes the adolescence process healthier, and said, “When these three needs are met, adolescence is less turbulent. However, when these needs are not met, young people may feel worthless or excluded.” ![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/images/nt3-260317084101.png) ## **Being humiliated in front of friends is a severe experience… ** Emphasizing that the sense of justice is very important for young people in the school environment, Prof. Tarhan said, “Adolescents are very sensitive about justice. The moment they think the teacher is discriminating, this situation can lead to an accumulation of anger. A young person who feels worthless or unseen may sometimes try to attract attention with a show of force.” Prof. Tarhan also drew attention to the importance of not humiliating students in front of their friends, stating, “A young person being humiliated in front of their friends is a very severe experience. Some young people withdraw into themselves in such situations, while others may express their accumulated anger with sudden and impulsive behaviors.” ## **Adolescents have the right to make mistakes** Emphasizing that young people's mistakes should be turned into an educational opportunity instead of being punished, Prof. Tarhan drew attention to the “restorative justice” approach and said, “Adolescents have the right to make mistakes. However, they do not have the right to harm others. Therefore, instead of punishment, restorative justice methods can be applied. For example, methods such as having them do community service or prepare kindness projects enable young people to understand the consequences of their actions.” ## **Young people cannot be managed by intimidation** Prof. Tarhan stated that authoritarian and oppressive approaches are not effective on young people in today's world, saying, “Societies in the world have now become open societies. Digitalization has transformed the world into an electronic village. In such an era, it is not possible to manage a young person by intimidation. Environments where young people can express themselves, talk, and share need to be created.” Prof. Tarhan also drew attention to the importance of preventive work in mental health, stating, “Psychiatry often intervenes after a problem arises. However, in the approach we call primary prevention, we focus on increasing the psychological resilience of healthy individuals. Psychological resilience studies to be carried out in schools are very valuable in this regard.” ## **Digital environment is not the sole cause of violence** Stating that the impact of digitalization on young people is often misinterpreted, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that digital tools do not produce violence on their own, but can facilitate violent tendencies when combined with certain psychological processes. Prof. Tarhan said, “The digital environment is not the sole cause of violence. But when combined with other psychological mechanisms, it has a facilitating effect on violent tendencies. Social media, video games, and internet content are part of young people's world. However, some of them can normalize violence. Fight videos, aggressive content, and videos that portray violence as a solution can be particularly effective on adolescents.” ## **Aggressive influencers are effective on young people…** Prof. Tarhan stated that one of the most important effects of the digital environment is normalizing violence, and emphasized that young people are influenced not only by digital content but also by real-life role models, saying, “The most important effect of the digital environment is its normalization of violence. However, a stronger effect than this is live violence. If the language of anger has become the language of communication in the family, environment, or society, the child models this. They begin to perceive the violence they see as a usual behavior.” At this point, Prof. Tarhan touched upon the importance of social learning, drawing attention to psychologist Albert Bandura's social learning theory, and stated that aggressive influencers and bullying content, in particular, create a strong modeling effect on young people. ## **Exposure to violence reduces empathy** Tarhan stated that continuous exposure to violent content can lead to emotional desensitization in young people, and that this can weaken the feeling of empathy, saying, “When there is too much exposure to images of violence, fear and empathy decrease. This leads to the normalization of evil. Constant exposure to violent content can reduce the sensitivity of young people.” ## **Social media algorithms can highlight aggressive content** Prof. Tarhan stated that social media algorithms are also effective in this process, saying that digital platforms often highlight striking and controversial content more, and added, “Social media algorithms are often not transparent. Shocking, aggressive, or controversial content spreads faster. There are systems working like persuasion laboratories in search engines and social platforms. Content is presented according to the user's interest, and the person is constantly fed with the same type of content.” Prof. Tarhan stated that uncontrolled use of the digital environment, especially during adolescence, increases the risk of addiction, and said, “If a young person spends hours in the digital environment, exhibits behaviors such as refusing food or refusing school, we can talk about addiction here. In some cases, we even see children putting plastic bottles in their rooms and not wanting to leave the game even to go to the toilet.” Prof. Tarhan emphasized that entertainment-oriented screen use should not exceed 20% of daily time, stating that the risk of addiction increases if this limit is exceeded. ## **Digital bullying is a cowardly type of violence** Prof. Tarhan stated that cyberbullying is also an important risk area among young people, and said that anonymous environments can facilitate aggressive behaviors, adding, “There is a situation we call cyberbullying in the digital environment. We also call this digital bullying. Individuals can exhibit aggressive behaviors by hiding anonymously. This poses a serious risk, especially for adolescents.” ## **Digitalization is an opportunity as much as it is a threat** Prof. Tarhan stated that digitalization offers not only risks but also significant opportunities, and expressed that when used correctly, it can contribute to the development of young people. “Digitalization is coming like a flood. Instead of cursing this flood, we need to turn it into an opportunity. What flies the kite is not the wind, but the position we take against the wind. If we take the right position, future generations will thank us.” said Prof. Tarhan, emphasizing that the most important issue in the digital age is ethical values education, and particularly drew attention to early childhood. “Morality is not innate; it is learned. Virtue and values education is most effectively given between the ages of 4 and 6. This period is golden. It is also learned in later years, but it becomes more difficult.” stated Prof. Tarhan, adding, “Incidents in schools should be turned into an educational opportunity rather than punishment. Creating a learning opportunity from an incident without shaming or hurting the student is one of the most important skills of an educator.” ## **There are warning signs of violence incidents** Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that in most violence incidents that may be observed in schools, there are some pre-existing signs, emphasizing that early detection of these signs is critically important. Prof. Tarhan stated that violence can manifest not only towards others but also as behaviors directed towards oneself, and especially emphasized that warning signs are seen in most suicide cases, saying, “Suicide is actually violence directed at oneself. Like violence directed at others, suicide cases also have precursors. Being able to recognize these signs early is very important. These precursors can often be more easily detected by classroom teachers, the student's close friends, or class representatives.” ## **Sudden personality changes are an important warning sign** Tarhan stated that sudden changes in a student's behavior should be carefully monitored, and said that sudden mood changes observed especially during adolescence could be a risk sign, adding, “If a student who was previously cheerful and calm suddenly becomes sluggish, or conversely, a student who was constantly sluggish suddenly becomes excessively active, there may be a personality change. In such cases, one should be suspicious. Because these changes can sometimes be harbingers of mood disorders.” ## **Small signs of violence can be harbingers of major incidents** Prof. Tarhan stated that violence directed at others often begins with small behaviors, saying, “Small acts of violence can be harbingers of greater violence. If a person has made violence a problem-solving method, that person should be considered in a risk group. Risk groups should be formed in schools, and these students should be followed up individually. Attempts should be made to understand the emotions these students suppress, the anger they accumulate, or the problems they experience.” ## **Peer bullying is at a high level in Türkiye** Prof. Tarhan pointed out that peer bullying is also a significant problem among young people, comparing the situation in Türkiye with international data, and said, “Globally, peer bullying is around 33% on average. The OECD average is at this level. In Türkiye, this rate goes up to 40%.” Prof. Tarhan stated that some conflicts during adolescence are natural, but systematic bullying must be addressed, and emphasized the importance of developing social and emotional skills in schools. ## **Social and emotional skills reduce violence** Tarhan stated that the “Social and Emotional Learning” model is widely applied in developed education systems, and said, “One of the important ways to reduce violence is the social and emotional learning model. This model teaches students to empathize, manage their emotions, and solve their problems through non-violent means.” Tarhan stated that discipline problems experienced in schools should not be solved only with punishment, and said, “In disciplinary practices, a restorative justice approach should be adopted instead of punitive justice. Methods that allow the student to compensate for their mistake yield more permanent results. In some education systems, students are sent to random kindness projects. They do volunteer work in elderly care homes and child protection institutions. In this way, they develop empathy and learn by experiencing different aspects of life.” ## **It is necessary to be prepared for crisis management** Prof. Tarhan drew attention to the importance of preparing crisis management plans against possible violence or suicide incidents in schools, stating, “The first condition for managing a crisis is to be prepared for it. A person who is not prepared for a crisis becomes part of the crisis. Staying calm under stress is very important. Leadership emerges during a crisis. It is necessary to calm those who panic, control the environment, and implement the correct intervention plan.” ## **Violence incidents should be seen as a social fire** Stating that crisis intervention and risk management plans should be established in schools, Prof. Tarhan said that this issue should be taken as seriously as fire safety, and concluded his words by saying, “Just as fire training is taken seriously, this issue should be handled in the same way. Because this is also a social fire. Crisis prevention and crisis intervention plans must be prepared in schools.” ## Akademik Referans DOI: [https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.88021](https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.88021) --- *Kaynak: [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr) — https://uha.com.tr/prof-nevzat-tarhan-violence-incidents-in-schools-are-a-social-fire*