Threats to the security of educational institutions (criminological study based on an anonymous online survey of students)

Abstract

The aim was to assess the scale and manifestation of security threats in educational institutions in Russia, the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia. For this purpose, an anonymous Internet survey of 1,075 students was conducted between March and June 2019. The questionnaire included 2 sets of questions - about some of the characteristics of the interviewees (gender, age, place of residence, type of educational institution where they study) and about various security threats in educational organisations. The answers given by students in different territories were compared, and a correlation was established between security threats and the level of juvenile criminal activity. More than 40 per cent of the students were inclined to believe that a situation could occur in their educational institutions where the actions of the students could lead to death or serious harm. Over 60 per cent of respondents said that they would be able to bring weapons or explosive devices into their educational institutions. More than half of the students had encountered the display of cold weapons in educational institutions. Respondents also noted that they had seen gas, pneumatic, traumatic, hunting, military firearms, and explosive devices in educational institutions. About 6% of those surveyed believe that there are those among the students at their educational institutions who admire teenagers who have killed people in schools and colleges, consider them their idols, and seek to emulate them. Students are interviewed about the tragedies of homicide and serious harm to health in educational establishments. Class teachers are the most active in conducting such discussions, followed by law enforcement officials, psychologists, and representatives of the administration of educational institutions. Almost every fourth Russian respondent answered that his or her educational institution had not conducted talks about tragedies related to homicide and serious harm to health in educational institutions. One in five respondents answered that there had been conflicts in their educational institution as a result of which someone had been killed or seriously injured. Over 37% of respondents said that there were students who were mocked and humiliated in their classes (groups), with over 23% believing that they could avenge humiliation by killing or causing serious harm to their health. More than 37% of respondents believe that there are those who live by the thieves' ideology among the students in their educational institutions. About 4% of respondents met students in their educational organisations who collect money from others "for the common fund", "to warm up the area", i.e. for criminals. The results of the study can serve as a means of criminological monitoring of the security of the educational environment, become the basis for selecting objects of prevention, and be used as a methodological basis and source of empirical information for criminological research and law enforcement activities. The author declares no conflicts of interests.