“A few years ago, the questions were still about how to handle a locker inspection procedurally; now they concern what to do with the growing number of weapons found during such inspections,” says Klaas Hiemstra, director of School & Veiligheid, in the January 2021 issue of the Onderwijsblad.
Drill rap
Carrying a weapon is popular among some young people, “because everyone does it”. We also see that drill rap, which has crossed over from America, is accompanied by a glorification of weapons and violence. Incidentally, no statistical relationship has been found between drill rap and the increase in the number of stabbing incidents.
Weapons and Young People Action Plan
This worrying development led the ministers of Justice and Security and Education, Culture and Science to join forces just before Christmas. They drew up the Weapons and Young People Action Plan to combat weapon possession and stabbing incidents among young people. The plan comprises a broad package of measures relating to safety, education and care, aimed at substantially reducing weapon possession.
What can you do as a teacher or school leadership?
What does this mean for you as a teacher? And what can you do as a school or school leadership? School & Veiligheid previously wrote this article together with the VO-raad: Weapon possession among young people: what can the school do?