A rise in youth violence across Cyprus on Friday sparked concern among parents, with a national federation now calling on the government to intervene.

The Pancyprian Confederation of secondary schools parents associations expressed alarm over what it described as an “escalating crisis” in school communities.

It warned that increasing incidents of violence, drug use, and unruly behaviour were putting children at risk, both physically and mentally.

The confederation said that in some cases, the consequences of such behaviour have been tragic. It urged the state to take immediate and effective measures to reduce these incidents and to safeguard students’ health and safety.

“Education must be a priority,” the confederation said, arguing that schools should help children develop strong values and life skills to resist harmful influences.

It called for practical workshops alongside theory-based lessons to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and criminal behaviour.

Their statement also pointed to the failure of existing laws to be fully enforced.

“It is unacceptable that so many pieces of legislation are in place, yet not properly implemented,” it read.

“Legal consequences, appropriate to the age of the offender, must be applied.”

One key proposal from the group is the establishment of alternative schools for pupils whose behaviour has become extreme. They described the completion and full operation of such facilities as an “urgent necessity.”

The confederation also highlighted the need for more security in schools. It said that an increased presence of trained guards, who carry out their duties responsibly, was now essential.

Delays in installing surveillance systems in high-risk schools were also criticised, with officials saying such inaction only worsened the situation, especially during night-time incidents.

Another major concern was the severe lack of school psychologists and social workers. According to the group, Cyprus currently has one school psychologist for every 1,850 students, a figure it says ranks among the worst in Europe.

The federation believes this shortfall makes it difficult to respond swiftly to troubling student behaviour.

“This should concern us all,” the statement said.

“The level of aggression and disregard for respectful social conduct is growing among children and teens.”

It ended by calling on everyone, families, educators, authorities, and civil society, to act both preventively and supportively.

“We must help these young people before they harm themselves or jeopardise their future”.