The Hodonín case has revealed a cruel reality: Bullying is not just a problem of schools, but of society as a whole! How many more warnings do we need?
What happened in Hodonín is an enormous problem and a warning to us all. It shows how far bullying and violence among young people can go if we downplay it or ignore it. Unfortunately this is not an isolated case – similar situations are happening ever more frequently, but not all of them are publicized.
This case reveals once again the deep, systemic failure in the field of addressing and preventing bullying. Although there exist methodologies and strategies targeting the elimination of bullying from the schools and from this society, their actual implementation often stumbles in the face of insufficient resources, underestimation of this as a problem, and unwillingness to deal with it. Individual aggressors are not the only ones failing society when they bully — this is the consequence of a dysfunctional environment that either facilitates or ignores such behavior. For that reason, it is essential to strengthen effective programs, mechanisms of prevention, and systematic outreach to arrange for the timely protection of victims and adequate penalties for the aggressors.
However, we must not forget the aggressors themselves. Many of them are growing up in environments where bullying or violence is a regular part of life. If we actually want to address this problem, we have to work with them, too, offering them the aid of experts, alternatives to violent behavior, and showing them the consequences of their behavior. The interventions and prevention must be comprehensive, otherwise the cycle of violence will keep repeating itself.
The case in Hodonín is specific in its brutality and the number of onlookers. It not only shows systemic failure, it also shows an alarming phenomenon in society, the need to get attention at any cost. Those who filmed video footage of the incident and shared it online instead of aiding the victim all contributed to normalizing violence. The question arises: What exactly did they think they were doing? Whatever their motivation, it is clear that as a society we have to transform our approach to such situations!
We, too, are actively doing our best to contribute to addressing this serious problem. Last week we released a song that raises this burning issue and reminds us of a tragic case from 2018, when as a consequence of bullying, a young life was lost. Today, in 2025, we are witnessing similar stories – proof that the problem is not resolved and is still endangering the lives of young people.
We are thinking of the victims and everybody who is trying to prevent such tragedies. This problem cannot be ignored – these are not just individual failings, but the comprehensive failure of a system unable to effectively protect the most vulnerable. It is high time to stop ignoring the warning signs and adopt specific measures which lead to real change!
