Russia's Youth: A Growing Wave of Violence and Its Roots

In Russia, a troubling trend is unfolding. Young people are committing serious crimes at an alarming rate. This surge in violence is not happening in a vacuum. It is linked to the country's focus on war and the release of convicted criminals. Experts point to a dangerous mix of factors. The glorification of military service and the pardon of thousands of criminals have created a perfect storm. Young people are exposed to violence in media and games. They see it as normal. This desensitization is worrying. Take the case of a 10-year-old boy stabbed to death by a classmate. This happened in an elite school near Moscow. The killer, a 15-year-old, admitted to the crime. He also stabbed a security guard and a teacher. Authorities say white supremacist ideology fueled the attack. This is not an isolated incident. Across Russia, similar stories are emerging. In Crimea, teenagers beat a schoolmate severely. In Siberia, two boys forced a classmate into deep snow and beat him. In Irkutsk, a 14-year-old stabbed two people to death. In Nizhny Novgorod, 13-year-olds kidnapped, beat, and tortured an elderly woman.The connection between this violence and the Kremlin's war rhetoric is clear. State TV glorifies military service. Movies and shows encourage teens to join the war. The fallout from this war is often ignored. A study found that over 1, 000 Russians have been killed or injured by returning soldiers since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. One way to recruit soldiers is by pardoning criminals. Families of crime victims protest this practice. They fear that killers will return to society unpunished. The Kremlin defends this, saying the freed criminals are "atoning" for their crimes on the battlefield. Consider the case of Aleksey Chebotaryov, a hitman convicted of 12 murders. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. But less than a month later, he was freed to fight in Ukraine. In another case, a lawyer killed his girlfriend and her 6-year-old son. He was later freed to fight in Ukraine. Parents are worried. Inna Sergeyeva, a mother in St. Petersburg, says her son and his friends play war games daily. She fears they do not see violence as a crime. They watch killing on TV, pretend to be killers on the street, and play violent video games. Experts warn that things will get worse. There are many guns on the black market. Any student can buy a gun online. This makes Russia a dangerous place for children.