A school violence case in Phạm Văn Đồng High School in Lâm Đồng Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — A spate of serious school violence cases in recent years has renewed concerns about student safety, particularly as conflicts that begin at school increasingly spill outside the classroom and onto social media.

On May 24, police in Di Linh Commune in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng charged 14-year-old N.H.V. with extortion.

Investigators say N.H.V. was part of a group of 13 eighth-grade students who repeatedly assaulted their classmate, D.M.H., and forced the child to hand over money.

On May 16, D.M.H. was found at home after attempting to hang themself and was rushed to hospital. 

In Thanh Hóa Province, a 12th-grade student was fatally stabbed by an 11th-grade student after school on October 17, 2025.

According to the Voice of Vietnam, during the altercation, the younger student pulled out a knife and stabbed the older student in the face and chest. The victim later died in hospital.

In Hà Tĩnh Province, a 9th-grade student died on October 30, 2025, after more than a month of treatment following an assault on September 24. He suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck in the head during a confrontation involving students from different schools.

Another case attracted widespread attention after a video circulated online showing two female students being attacked by three classmates outside a school gate in what was then District 12, HCM City. The victims were grabbed by the hair, pushed to the ground and kicked and beaten while other students watched.

Violence is evolving

Văn Thùy Dương, vice principal of Lương Thế Vinh Secondary and High School in Hà Nội, said school violence remains a serious concern, with social media allowing incidents to spread quickly. Insults, exclusion, rumours and humiliating images shared online can cause lasting harm, even when adults do not see it.

Students may stay silent because they fear worrying their parents or being judged and rejected. 

Dương said prevention must go beyond stopping physical fights – students need to understand that words can hurt and online actions have real-world consequences.

When incidents occur, schools should protect victims, establish the facts and help those responsible understand the harm they caused.

A school’s reputation cannot be built by hiding problems, she said.

Transparency means addressing incidents honestly and preventing them from happening again, not exposing children publicly or posting cases on social media.

A police officer from Hà Nội's Sóc Sơn Commune talks about school violence with students in Mai Đình Secondary School. — Photo courtesy of Ministry of Public Security

Associate Professor Dr Phạm Mạnh Hà, an educational psychologist at Hà Nội University of Science and Technology, said school violence may not be more common, but it has evolved. 

Online abuse can follow children home, spreading humiliation far beyond school.

He cited adolescent impulsivity, family conflict or neglect, and social media’s rewards for shocking content as factors that can fuel aggression. Psychological violence, such as exclusion, insults, rumours and online harassment, is harder to spot but can damage children’s mental health and school performance.

Hà urged schools to respond openly and promptly, with safe reporting channels, counselling and trained teachers. Responses should help students understand the harm and take responsibility, not rely on punishment alone. 

Families also have a role. Parents should model calm conflict resolution and try to understand bullying rather than respond defensively or harshly.

“A child who hurts others is sometimes also a child who is hurting themselves,” Hà said.

Students answer questions about preventing school violence during a legal education and awareness session in An Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

Building digital resilience

Hoàng Thị Thảo of the Genesis Education System said preventing school violence depends on adults noticing problems early and giving students a safe way to ask for help. Schools should make confidential reporting channels available and ensure students know they can speak to a trusted teacher or counsellor without fear of being dismissed or exposed.

That support cannot stop at the school gate. Teachers, counsellors and families need to share concerns and work together, while parents make time to listen to their children and take signs of distress seriously.

Thảo also cautioned against treating phone bans as a solution to online harm. Instead, children need guidance on using digital platforms safely and responsibly, and on what to do when they encounter harassment.

When bullying is reported, schools should protect the student who has been targeted and respond in a way that addresses the harm. That means holding the student responsible to account while helping them understand the impact of their actions, rather than relying on punishment alone. — VNS