A few weeks ago, a discussion developed in our family WhatsApp group. As former members of the Hebrew Scouts, we found ourselves talking about the flood of articles that had been published on the subject: stories of hazing, humiliation, power struggles between older and younger age groups and Scout tribes, and violence that had long since crossed the line of being dismissed as “teenage nonsense.”

My brother argued that nothing had really changed. “It happened in our day, too,” he said. “It’s just that today there are cameras, social media, and journalists publishing every video.” I wanted to agree with him. After all, we too grew up with initiation rituals, humor that wasn’t always funny, and a culture that would no longer be considered acceptable today. But something in me found it difficult to settle for that explanation.

Recently, ELEM/Youth in Distress in Israel published its annual report, painting a troubling picture of rising distress among boys and girls: violence, loneliness, anxiety, and a loss of belonging. Yes, the report focuses on youth at risk, but they stopped being “others” a long time ago. They are our children, their friends in the Scouts, the students in classrooms and neighborhoods that, until recently, were considered perfectly typical.

Documentation has indeed changed the rules of the game. The camera no longer simply exposes violence; sometimes it becomes part of it. The pursuit of views and algorithms that reward extreme content are also shaping behavior itself. But that is only part of the picture.

Studies from around the world show that children and teenagers who grow up for prolonged periods amid war, ongoing threats, and social polarization exhibit higher levels of anxiety, difficulties with emotional regulation, and aggression. Prof. Carmit Katz describes Israel as a “toxic environment for children” — a society in which violence, social divisions, and uncertainty seep into young people’s lives. Research from the HBSC studies conducted by Prof. Yossi Harel-Fisch likewise shows that violence is not an isolated phenomenon; it is closely linked to a sense of belonging, mental health, and trust in adults.

On October 27, Israel will once again go to the polls. It is still too early to know whether teenagers will truly be part of the election agenda, or whether they will merely be mentioned as a slogan alongside security, the economy, and the cost of living. We cannot continue to view violence, loneliness, emotional distress, and young people’s loss of a sense of belonging as “just another social issue.” These are not challenges belonging solely to the education system, social services, or civil society organizations. They are a test of the resilience of Israeli society as a whole.