Lucy Audio Clips

Teachers Phoebe and Filippo Castronovo discuss the increase in school violence since COVID. They believe that prolonged isolation has affected students' ability to interact and disagree in a normal way. They have personally witnessed the rise in school violence and are working to teach students basic behavior rules. The problem extends beyond teachers, with former student Joey Bowser expressing concern about the changing school culture and environment. I sat down with Phoebe and Filippo Castronovo, and they shared their experiences as teachers dealing with the increase of school violence since COVID. I think, since people were just isolated for like a year or even more, they just do not know how to, like, disagree with people or, like, just interact with people in a normal way. Like, there are just some big major gaps in their, like, social... The Castronovos have been teachers since 2019. Phoebe teaches fourth grade, and Filippo teaches high school science. They both have taught before and after COVID, so they have experienced firsthand the effect that the COVID pandemic has had on students, and they've witnessed the influx in school violence due to COVID. They're always more bold in text messaging than they are, like, in person, that kind of behavior with what everyone did for a year and a half. Since COVID, over 56% of schools have reported an increase in school violence. Teachers are making an effort every day to teach students basic behavior rules that have been lacking since COVID. What can I do if I disagree with this person, or if they are saying something to me that I don't like? Do I have to just punch them in the face? Or is there a different option? Like, things like that. Which seems simple, and you'd think high schoolers don't need, but they do. They don't have those skills, so... Teachers aren't the only ones who are trying to tackle the issue of school violence. Previous high school student and former ASB president Joey Bowser, who was present in his school when a homicide occurred on campus, says, I was definitely fearful of what the school culture was turning into, not just the change of what people were thinking the school was, but what the school environment was already.