After the brutal beating of a police chief in Ruse, the topic of increasing aggression among young people has again come to the agenda. On the air of the program “Offensive“ on NOVA NEWS, social anthropologist Haralan Alexandrov commented on the worrying trends in Bulgarian society, emphasizing that we are in a period of serious social and emotional collapse.
“We are observing a wave of aggression among young people. After the incident in Ruse, it became clear that anyone can become a victim – regardless of their status and position“, pointed out Alexandrov.
In his words, it is a failure not just of institutions, but of the affective system itself – the ability of the psyche to contain aggression and transform it into competition or into verbal expression.
„This is happening more and more often. This is not only a parental failure, but also a failure of our understanding of the driving forces of social life“, the expert emphasized.
According to him, the frustration of a huge part of society is the main source of this aggression, which materializes most visibly among young people – through violence, street conflicts and a lack of basic empathy.
Aleksandrov emphasized that from now on the question is what approach the state will adopt towards aggression in young people: „There are two ways – the therapeutic one, in which we view young people as victims of bad social circumstances and cultivate them, or the repressive one – with punishment and control.”
According to him, change cannot be achieved by force alone, because the problem is deeply rooted and requires a systematic, long-term response, including in the fields of education, family and the public environment.
On the protests of „Vazrazhdane“ and „Velichye“: „Battle for leadership in the field of regression“
Aleksandrov also commented on current political events, including the protests of „Vazrazhdane“ and „Velichye“.
„The battle for leadership will develop in the field of regression – that is, whoever is the most savage and bloodthirsty will win. Fortunately, a huge percentage of Bulgarian society is not inclined to support radical rule“, added the social anthropologist.
Finally, Alexandrov noted that despite the attention focused on the eurozone, people's real concern lies elsewhere: “What worries society is not the entry into the eurozone itself, but the fear that we will become too dependent on the leadership of the European Union.“