Overview
- The Berliner Konflikt- und Gewaltbarometer was presented Monday as the first comprehensive scientific study by a German state to measure conflicts, bullying, discrimination and violence in schools, using large surveys of students and teachers.
- The Gewerkschaft für Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW) responded by demanding more school social workers, an expanded and better-funded Startchancen program for disadvantaged schools, and well-resourced all-day primary care starting with the legal right that begins in August 2026.
- The study and union calls follow high-profile cases that provoked public outrage and scrutiny of school authorities, including a Moabit teacher’s long-running account of homophobic mobbing and Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch’s public apology in April 2026 for mishandling parts of that case.
- Unions and teachers link rising school violence to a sustained teacher shortage and too few school social work positions, saying these staffing gaps limit preventive work, increase police interventions, and leave bullied staff and pupils without reliable support.
- The report arrives against a long history of crises — from the 2006 Rütli scandal to recent brand letters by school staffs — and it sets a new test for whether Berlin will turn survey findings into lasting funding and operational changes that affect pupils’ daily safety and staff protection.