Unrest and Intimidation: School Ombudsman in Almaty Region Reports on Physical Assaults, Harassment, and Ransom Demands
Rewritten Article:
School violence in Almaty region has raised serious concerns, as reported by Liter.kz. Children's Ombudsman Dinara Zakiyeva shared startling insights from an investigation into 7 schools in the region.
The Ombudsman emphasized that the alarming instances of students violently attacking other kids in the Ilyinsky district of Almaty region are a part of a deeper, escalating issue in the region's schools. She explained that the investigation, conducted along with the Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights, was initiated due to the President's instructions.
Various methods were employed, including anonymous surveys among students across the region and studying their questionnaires. The results were disappointingly disconcerting.
In the Eskelday district, two students, victims of teachers' violence, required hospitalization. Substantial reports of harassment, extortion, food theft, bullying, and violence were also shared anonymously in Karasay, Balhash, Talgar, and Ilyinsky districts.
Zakiyeva pointed out the underreporting of offenses, the absence of preventive measures, and inadequate individual work with children. Furthermore, most cases, despite students' concerns about bullying, extortion, and illegal activities in school settings as per their questionnaires, ended up indicating zero percent occurrence in the final report.
It's worth mentioning, the broader societal atmosphere in Kazakhstan, characterized by ethnic tensions and institutional challenges, may indirectly be connected to such recurring issues in schools[1][2][3]. Ongoing concerns related to gender-based and interpersonal violence, as well as the history of violent crackdowns on civil unrest during conflict, are relevant[2][3]. However, there's currently a dearth of specific data regarding school-related harassment in the Almaty region.
To dive deeper into this issue, it's advisable to study Kazakhstan's Ombudsman Office reports directly or recent UN reviews on children's rights in the region[2][4].
- Dinara Zakiyeva, the Children's Ombudsman, disclosed that bullying and violence among students are rampant in the Ilyinsky district of the Almaty region, as uncovered in an investigation.
- Zakiyeva's investigation, undertaken in collaboration with the Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights, found numerous cases of harassment, extortion, food theft, and violence in the Karasay, Balhash, Talgar, and Eskelday districts.
- Dishearteningly, the results of anonymous surveys among students revealed a significant underreporting of offenses, a lack of preventive measures, and inadequate individual work with children.
- Despite students' concerns about bullying, extortion, and illegal activities in schools, as reflected in their questionnaires, the final report indicated zero percent occurrence of these issues.
