Talking is no longer enough – Diepresse.com

No sympathy of the world, no word of consolation will ever be enough to relieve the pain of the bereaved.
How do you explain siblings that brother or sister no longer returns from school – and will never come back home?
How do you comfort parents, whose soul was brutally snatched into them after they kissed their children as a farewell in the morning?
How do you live with the knowledge that you will never feel these delicate, small hands again with a hug?

I don’t know the answers. But as a father, these questions alone put my throat – all the more when I observe the reactions to this tragedy.

« We have to talk » – really?

«  »If the fog clears, we have to talk“, I read in the morning after the crime. With respect: After eleven people have been torn from life and the arms of their loved ones, speeches are not enough – we have to act, we have to change. Everything else would be mockery towards the young souls who have left us, and their relatives, who hopefully stay among us for a long time – if only physically.

Austria has one of the loosest weapons laws in Europe. According to the « Small Arms Survey » from 2017, there are 100 inhabitants: around 30 firearms in the inside; This means that we are 12th place in civil guns worldwide. At the age of 18 you can buy legal weapons, 16-year-olds are allowed to buy for hunting purposes under certain conditions.

This cannot be changed with well -meaning conversations, but only with political will and immediate measures. And please: Nobody may pull the USA comparison-if that were our yardstick, we could close our schools right away.

Powder barrel bullying

At the moment we hardly know anything about the perpetrator. Reports that the former student was bullied cannot be verifiable at the present time. However, what we know from studies on the profile of so -called « School Shooters » is that they have often experienced bullying, emotional stress and violence.

The bullying statistics in this country draw a dark picture: in 2015, Austria was at the top of bullying cases in schools in Europe. One of five boys between the ages of 11 and 15 reported at least two bullying experiences within two months-around 21 percent, around twice as high as the OECD average. In the 2019 PISA study, 23 percent of the pupils stated that they were regularly bullied on the inside.

A nationwide strategy that effectively encounters this problem does not exist. Workshops alone – as deserving as they may be – remain alibi acts if they are not accompanied by systematic structures and resources.

Climate of blame

As if this dangerous mix of lax weapons laws and bullying were not enough, I’ve read comments on X, Facebook and Tiktok since then that repel me. The authors are not concerned with the murdered or their families and friends, but first about the nationality of the perpetrator.

It hurts that not only adults think that way. Young people also ask reflexively today: « Was the assassin foreigner or not? » Depending on the answer, you can then protect your “own group” from allegations – or not. Right politics and irresponsible media have maneuvered society in a corner in which mutual distrust indicates the tone. Nobody remains room for empathy. Human lives are negotiated on migration agents. You don’t close these trenches with a little « talk ». Strategies, political commitment and collective action are needed.

Act: now

These interlocking problems – slight gun ownership, considerable bullying rates, social division – are intensified. And we know that such incidents often inspire imitation offenders. Therefore, we are no longer allowed to be satisfied with appeals. We need now:

Stricter weapons laws – including a minimum age of 21 years, complete psychological checks, clear reduction of private weapons, with the aim of completely prohibiting the private property of weapons in the future.

Binding anti-bullying programs & boys work – nationally coordinated, scientifically evaluated and with sufficient staff at every school.

Media responsibility – Clear sanctions for platforms that spread hatred and disinformation, as well as mandatory fact check for sensitive topics.

Crisis intervention & prevention – Land -covering psychosocial services, low -threshold advisory services and stricter reporting requirements for threats.

The time of talking is over. Anyone who continues to provide words becomes part of the problem – not their solution.

Rami Ali is a political scientist and consultant for political communication, digital narrative & youth participation.