Criminologist sees increase in aggression in society
Published: Monday, Mar 25th 2024, 15:50
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Criminologist Dirk Baier from the University of Zurich sees growing aggression in Swiss society. The way in which young people in particular are treated has become rougher. For Baier, however, the rising figures in the latest police crime statistics from the Federal Statistical Office do not mean that everything is getting worse.
There has been an increase in the number of criminal offenses committed by minors and young adults up to the age of 24. This more aggressive mood was also partly due to the coronavirus pandemic, Baier said in Monday's SRF Tagesgespräch. Skills such as empathy may not have been developed as strongly during this time.
However, the general rise in the number of crimes recorded by the police should not cause the population any concern. "The chance that we will have to experience serious violence in Switzerland is practically zero. Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world," says the criminologist.
While the number of crimes is increasing, the population's reporting behavior is also on the rise. More of the unreported cases, i.e. incidents that are not registered by the police, are being uncovered. In recent years, intensive work has been done to raise awareness so that more people go to the police and seek help. For example, victims in partnerships are now more willing to come forward.
The figures from the Federal Statistical Office also show that more than half of the people accused of a crime by the police are foreign nationals. Baier put this figure into perspective. Switzerland is a country with a high proportion of foreigners and has many crime tourists from neighboring countries. The nationality of a perpetrator cannot be made the cause, rather social factors are linked to it. Poverty and inequality are drivers of crime.
©Keystone/SDA
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