The many layers behind the mayhem Premium

Principal Anilkumar reflects on youth violence in Kerala, sparking debates on parenting, mental health, tech influence, and cinema impact.

When he retires as Principal of a government school in Palakkad district this May, A.K. Anilkumar is likely to carry the memory of an incident that happened towards the fag end of his 36-year-long career, though he would instead prefer to forget it.

In January 2025, the video of a 17-year-old Plus One student from his school went viral on social media. Furious over the confiscation of his mobile phone, which was not allowed in the school, the boy could be seen making a death threat at his teachers, including Anilkumar. It created such a furore that it prompted the State government to order a probe.

“It was the first such experience in my long teaching career. It wasn’t the fear of bodily harm that hurt me but the pain of whether all my years in teaching have been rewarded in such a manner,” rues Anilkumar.

The incident came close on the heels of another incident in which a man was stabbed to death by two minor boys, aged 14 and 16, for allegedly questioning the public use of drugs at Thekkinkadu Maidan in Thrissur district on the New Year eve.

Since then, a spate of violent incidents involving youngsters has struck Kerala, claiming many lives and disrupting several families. A gang war-like clash between two groups of teenage students had led to the death of a 15-year-old boy at Thamarassery in Kozhikode. Several instances of group clashes involving school students have gone viral on social media.

The violent incidents involving schoolchildren and teenagers have triggered a debate about what has gone wrong with the youth. While some blamed it on the drug menace and the alleged influence of violent movies, others have raised deeper concerns that include gaps in parenting, mental health anxieties, and the impact of tech and social media on Gen Z.

Arun B. Nair, Professor of Psychiatry, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, feels that the younger generation is facing a social disconnect syndrome, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 lockdowns and the digital revolution.