A series of violent incidents among students in 2025 reveals a troubling trend: school conflicts increasingly ending in serious injury or death.
The year 2025 saw a disturbing rise in school violence across Vietnam, with multiple serious cases resulting in grave injuries - and, in some instances, death.
What’s most concerning is the growing belief among students that using violence is a "normal way" to resolve conflicts.
9th grader stabs classmate during off-campus altercation in Gia Lai
In early December, two 9th-grade students from Nguyen Van Cu Secondary School in Gia Lai arranged to meet at a snack shop near their school to "settle a long-standing conflict."
A heated argument escalated into a fight, during which one student pulled out a knife and stabbed the other in the chest, seriously injuring him.
The victim was rushed to Hospital 331 with an open wound to the left chest wall near the seventh and eighth ribs.
Student dies after classroom assault in Thanh Hoa
At Thanh Hoa College of Agriculture, a 10th-grade student was attacked by a group of classmates who stormed into the classroom and beat him.
The student was unconscious and suffered a brain hemorrhage by the time teachers got him to the medical room and then to the hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he died after several days in critical condition.
8th grader attacked, pushed into lake in Lao Cai
An 8th-grade male student, after assaulting the victim, pushed them into a lake and walked away. Image captured from video footage.
In a highly disturbing incident in Yen Bai Ward, Lao Cai Province, an 8th-grade student from Quang Trung Secondary School was assaulted with a weapon and shoved into a lake.
The attack stemmed from previous teasing and verbal insults about the victim’s parents. On the afternoon of November 5, after further provocation, the assailant returned to school carrying a knife in his backpack.
After school, they met at the lake where the attacker stabbed the victim multiple times in the back and shoulders, then pushed him into the water before walking away.
Fortunately, a passerby rescued the victim and brought him to the hospital in time to save his life.
Fatal stabbing after PE class dispute in Thanh Hoa
In mid-October, a 12th-grade student at Dang Thai Mai High School died after a fight with an 11th grader.
The altercation began with a spontaneous disagreement during a physical education class. Later, the 12th grader confronted the younger student, hitting him with fists, feet, and a helmet.
The 11th grader retaliated by stabbing the other student in the neck with a concealed knife, killing him.
9th grader injures classmate with metal baton in An Giang
Also in October, a 9th grader from Binh Thanh Dong Secondary School in An Giang Province used a collapsible baton to strike an 8th-grade classmate in the head and face, causing serious injuries.
They had agreed to fight in an empty lot, joined by several other students. During the fistfight, a friend of the 9th grader suddenly intervened, hitting the victim repeatedly with the baton.
The injured student was taken to a local clinic and later to a hospital for treatment.
8th-grade girl beaten in school bathroom in HCMC
A female student was assaulted by a group of classmates in the school restroom. Image captured from video footage.
A clip went viral showing a group of students dragging an 8th-grade girl from An Dien Secondary School in Ho Chi Minh City into a bathroom and assaulting her.
In the video, the victim is punched, kicked, pulled by the hair, and dragged across the floor while wearing a school uniform and red scarf. Several other students stood by, watching and cheering.
A teacher eventually intervened and dispersed the crowd. The girl was later diagnosed with multiple injuries, including three fractured ribs, and showed signs of trauma.
8th-grade boy suffers broken ribs after group attack in Bac Kan
Police work with school representatives and involved students in Bac Kan.
In May, an 8th grader at Bac Kan Secondary School was assaulted by four classmates, resulting in multiple broken ribs.
One of the students filmed the incident, in which the others repeatedly punched and kicked the victim during two separate attacks - one in a practice room and another in a bathroom.
The violence stemmed from a misunderstanding over a kite sale and jealousy involving a female student. Despite efforts to clarify the situation, the attackers refused to believe the victim.
A CT scan revealed fractures to the 5th, 6th, and 7th left ribs and air in the shoulder joint.
These tragic cases share common threads: personal conflicts, violent responses, and the use of weapons, often with devastating results.
Experts: We must rebuild emotional foundations and legal safeguards
Associate Professor Pham Manh Ha, a psychologist at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that to prevent school violence, society must rebuild a value system where children feel respected, protected, and able to grow healthily.
“Only when children learn love instead of punishment, listening instead of control, and respect instead of coercion can violence be gradually eliminated,” he said.
Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Educational Psychology, agreed. He emphasized the need to teach life values, empathy, and emotional awareness to guide students toward appropriate behavior. He also stressed the importance of legal mechanisms to address violent incidents and create meaningful behavioral change.
Associate Professor Tran Thu Huong, another psychology expert, pointed to digital content as a driver of aggression. Constant exposure to violent videos and media glorifying conflict has led many students to see aggression as acceptable.
She urged tighter control over students’ online activity and stricter content moderation. Legal protections and deterrents, she said, must also be improved to prevent further tragedies.
Vietnamnet.vn
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