According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, violence among adolescents is a leading cause of death worldwide, and one in three adolescents falls victim to school bullying. Statistical indicators confirm that violence has become a systemic global problem for modern youth. The situation is even more acute in countries experiencing political and economic instability, where societal polarization is particularly deep.<\/p>\n
Adolescence is a crucial stage for the formation of personal identity, a time when ethical orientations received from the outside world play a decisive role. But why does an adolescent choose violence as a language of communication, and how do the family, society, and digital space influence the process of their identity formation? Psychologist and Gestalt therapist Oliko Nakashidze speaks with us on these topics.<\/p>\n
In this interview, we discuss how youth identity is formed in a polarized society and the mechanisms through which moral barriers break down, leading an adolescent to commit severe acts of violence.<\/p>\n
To what extent can we consider the country’s political instability and societal polarization as defining factors in forming an adolescent’s identity as a perpetrator?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n We must understand that adolescence is a vital process of personal identity formation. Imagine an adolescent on the difficult path of searching for their “self”: they are no longer a child who believes every word of a parent is truth, but not yet a formed adult with a solid internal foundation. At this fragile stage, while expecting ethical guidance from the outside world, they see only insults and aggression on television and social media. In such a toxic environment, political chaos is not just a backdrop but a powerful mechanism that pushes the adolescent’s psyche toward violence.<\/p>\n When societal leaders and adults choose aggression and personal insults as the only way to resolve conflict, the adolescent perceives this as the sole model for survival. Consequently, we get a generation for whom violence becomes the language of communication, and self-esteem becomes an illusion based on suppressing others rather than internal peace and self-realization.<\/p>\n When society splits into two opposing camps, an adolescent who has not yet formed firm values flees from the fear of loneliness. It is vital for them to belong to a group. If everyone around is shouting that the “other” is an enemy, aggressive behavior becomes a test of loyalty. We must understand the source of aggression; often, an adolescent causes pain not out of a desire for evil, but to prove to their “own” that they are reliable and worthy of belonging. This is violence motivated by the fear of exclusion.<\/p>\n Political confrontation often creates nothing but an “image of the enemy.” When a child constantly hears that opponents are the “embodiment of evil,” those people lose their humanity in the child’s mind. If you no longer see a human in your opponent, attacking them becomes commonplace\u2014in such moments, empathy is simply switched off.<\/p>\n Albert Bandura’s theory tells us directly: adolescents copy the behavior of authority figures. If national leaders solve problems only through shouting and insults, the child adopts the simplest rule\u2014truth is on the side of whoever is stronger. An uncertain tomorrow breeds anxiety, which suppresses rational thinking. When the roles of family and school weaken, the street fills the void. Here, violence becomes the only way of self-assertion\u2014the feeling that they are strong and in control of their own life.<\/p>\n How do socio-economic problems in society translate into individual adolescent aggression, and is this a mechanism of self-assertion?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n There is a fundamental principle in psychology: when a person’s access to basic needs is restricted, frustration is born. This does not refer only to material deficits; it can be a sharp sense of injustice\u2014that their starting conditions are far more unfair or difficult than others’. Because an adolescent cannot fight an abstract “economic system,” their accumulated anger is transferred to tangible objects\u2014peers or teachers.<\/p>\n Economic problems reach the adolescent through the “family filter.” A parent under constant financial stress is often emotionally exhausted. In such cases, the parenting style becomes either overly strict or indifferent. An adolescent who cannot find support at home begins seeking attention through aggressive means outside.<\/p>\n Is this a mechanism for self-assertion? Yes, but a distorted one. When an adolescent lacks “economic capital”\u2014quality technology, clothes, or travel opportunities\u2014they try to compensate for this loss with “physical capital.” Violence becomes a tool to gain influence and “respect” in their social circle. Financial instability makes a person feel they lack control over their life; aggressive action provides a momentary, albeit false, sense of agency.<\/p>\n What role does the family environment play in the formation of a perpetrator?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Adolescents rarely do what we verbally teach them, but they always repeat what they see. If home conflict is resolved only through shouting or physical punishment, the child adopts this as the only correct language. It is also a form of defense\u2014to overcome the helplessness felt at home, they subconsciously choose the role of the aggressor outside: “better I hurt others than be the victim myself.”<\/p>\n Inner pain is transformed into outward aggression through “emotional displacement.” Humiliation received at home accumulates a massive psychological charge. Since the adolescent cannot return the anger to the parent, they seek a safe object\u2014a peer or someone weaker\u2014on whom to vent this energy. Simultaneously, neglected pain at home leads to emotional freezing; the ability to empathize with others diminishes, making bullying possible without guilt.<\/p>\n What role does the violent narrative in the digital space play?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The digital space is a parallel world where violent narratives gradually transform the psyche. Constant exposure to aggressive footage or hate-filled posts leads to emotional desensitization. What was once shocking becomes ordinary. Social media algorithms accelerate this, creating an illusion that the whole world thinks this way.<\/p>\n The screen also provides a sense of impunity and anonymity, removing the moral brakes that hold them back in real life. The digital world has turned violence into a continuous process. If a child once escaped bullying by going home, cyberbullying now follows them in their pocket.<\/p>\n How significant is the influence of radical ideologies and groups?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Radical ideologies offer an “ideal” template: they divide the world strictly into black and white, good and evil. This removes the need for the adolescent to think or search\u2014everything is predetermined, providing an illusion of peace. An “image of the enemy” is created, shifting personal pain onto a specific group: “You aren’t weak; they<\/i> are hindering you.” This narrative assigns purpose to anger. Violent groups provide what the adolescent seeks most: recognition. Aggression loses its primary form and is transformed into a “heroic act.”<\/p>\n What psychological transformations cause the breakdown of moral barriers?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n This is a step-by-step “reprogramming.”<\/p>\n Moral Justification:<\/b> The adolescent convinces themselves they are “restoring justice” or “defending honor.”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Diffusion of Responsibility:<\/b> In a group, they think, “We did this, not I.”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dehumanization of the Victim:<\/b> This is the most dangerous step. The perpetrator must stop seeing a human in the victim. They use labels to switch off the natural mechanism of empathy.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Distortion of Consequences:<\/b> They minimize the harm: “It wasn’t that bad” or “They started it.”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n What should the role of state institutions be in prevention?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The state should create a “safety ecosystem” where schools, social services, and law enforcement act as one network:<\/p>\n Strengthening Emotional Intelligence:<\/b> Teaching adolescents anger management and empathy\u2014using words instead of fists.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Digital Hygiene:<\/b> Teaching how to recognize manipulation and cyberbullying.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Energy Transformation:<\/b> Investing in sports, technology, and art. When an adolescent feels competent in a field, the need for violence vanishes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Restorative Justice:<\/b> We need mediation where the perpetrator meets the victim. This forces them to see the living person behind the “image of the enemy.”<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n True prevention lies in the feeling that every young person is valuable. When we listen to adolescents and offer them a real future, violence simply loses its meaning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, violence among adolescents is a leading cause of death worldwide, and one in three adolescents falls victim to school bullying. Statistical indicators confirm that violence has become a systemic global problem for modern youth. 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