In recent months, we have been witnessing an unprecedented wave of reports regarding severe social boycotts, bullying, and violence, some of which have ended in terrible tragedies of suicide. The data and the reality on the ground point to a worrying trend: a rise in the scope and severity of violence among youth and young people in Israel.

On Independence Day Eve in Petah Tikva, celebrations ended with the stabbing death of a 21-year-old young man by a group of minors. Later that weekend in Tel Aviv, two minors were attacked by a group of youths. These are further testimonies that the public space is increasingly becoming a violent arena for youth, almost on a daily basis.

The discourse on social networks reveals shocking stories every day about teenagers who are at a peak of loneliness and despair. Data from the Ministry of Health and aid organizations point to a sharp increase in emergency room referrals involving suicidal thoughts and self-harm, where social boycotts and online bullying are the primary catalysts.

In a partnership between ELEM and the Darca Psagot Educational-Technological Center in Ofakim — one of many throughout Israel — a holistic response was built that sees the youth not only between the classroom walls but on the street and web. The goal is the provision of a protective envelope that sees the distress before it turns into violence.

"Our approach: instead of the youth experiencing loneliness that leads to violence, we provide a sense of belonging," says Gaia Adi, Director of the Jerusalem and South district of ELEM.

Emotional spaces inside the school

The project, called "Sphysim" (Spaces), offers a holistic, trauma-informed intervention model, which adapts the expertise of ELEM from the streets into the school hallways. In partnership with the National Insurance Institute, a permanent, stigma-free sanctuary was created within the school. This space is operated by experienced youth workers who provide support without judgment or labels.

The model is based on four central pillars:

• Active outreach: The coordinators are present during breaks, in hallways, and in secluded corners (near the cafeteria or security, for example) to locate those "quiet" youths who find it difficult to trust the formal system.
• Dialogue on their level: Creating a voluntary and non-judgmental connection that allows for the venting of distress without fear of sanctions or grades.
• Comprehensive support framework: Integrating workshops and tools for emotional expression.
• Systemic collaboration: Close cooperation with the educational staff to strengthen school resilience and shorten waiting times for treatment when necessary.

According to PISA research data, one in four teenagers experiences bullying at school, on the street, or in virtual platforms. Gaya Adi, Southern District Manager of ELEM, explains that the organization collects two types of data: reports from the youth themselves and reports from field teams who see what is happening in practice. Often, the data does not completely match.

"A youth might report bullying in one space, while the mentors who are in the virtual space and the night vans identify harm across multiple spaces," says Adi. "The overall figure of one in four refers to all areas of a teenager's life. And accordingly, we strive to provide a response and be present in all spaces," she explains.

"The bullying is a result of loneliness and anxiety"

"Bullying is a result and not the problem itself," explains Adi. "It is a product of loneliness, severe anxiety, loss of social connection, and the breakdown of parental authority. When there is uncertainty and a dulling of the senses, tolerance drops and violence rises."

According to ELEM's holistic approach, if an adult meets the youth in several social environments, they can identify their strengths and reinforce the youth's identity. When the representatives are present at the youth center, on the street, and at the school, the effect is much stronger.

"When I meet a youth on the street and tell him, 'Tomorrow I'm at the school, come and continue the conversation,' the very fact of his arrival already strengthens his sense of belonging to the school and the community," notes Adi.

This work is also vital for preventing school dropout. A team may meet a youth in another space when he is not coming to class, create a connection with him, and motivate him to return to the framework where the educational staff can continue the work. The connection between ELEM representatives and school staff also strengthens the connection of the youth to the community.

"The youth sees the team that knows how to sit with him on the street, sitting together with the teaching staff, and he feels more like he belongs," says Adi.

The program currently operates in Akko, Holon, Kiryat Malachi, and Kiryat Shmona, from an understanding that these populations experience collective trauma. Iris Cohen, Director of the Educational Center in Ofakim, says that "the school offers technological education to students on the risk continuum...within a system that developed a groundbreaking, community-educational model, ELEM integrates as an inseparable part of the school landscape."

"The team has become part of the staff of the technological educational center," Cohen testifies. "At the beginning of the year, the mentors locate students and identify personal and public strengths, and with parental approval, they integrate hours of discourse into the system. ELEM's space is open to students during breaks, and many of them prefer to stay there."

Cohen speaks about a case in which "a student who experienced a crisis due to communication struggles with her parents turned to a mentor with whom she had created a significant connection, and through that same thread, "we were all able as a system to assist her."

"For the youth, there is no separation between the physical world and the virtual world"

One of the big challenges in dealing with bullying today is the absolute blurring between the physical world and the virtual world.

"For youth, there is no dichotomy—the spaces are mixed. If there is a situation where they beat me up and uploaded it to Instagram Live, it doesn't only stay on the platform," Adi describes. "An injury like this becomes a wildfire because the whole city can see it, and not just the immediate environment, as it was in the past."

"A week later, the youth might meet a group in the street that recognizes them from the video, which intensifies the feeling of injury. Therefore, our message to the adults who are around youth, like parents and teachers, is that there is no longer a separation, and what they experience in the virtual space is just as important as their experiences in the physical space."

The best way to know what is happening, according to her, is simply to ask.

"Studies show that youth do not talk about violence simply because they are not asked," she says. "Asking them is the best way to know what is happening with them." In addition, it is recommended to be present in more life settings.

Facing the wave of suicide attempts in the last year, ELEM emphasizes the steps that may prevent the next tragedy:

• Monitoring warning signs: Identifying "signals of distress" on the web or in withdrawn behavior.

• Removing the veil of secrecy: In cases of a social boycott (Cherem), one must move from an approach of "snitching" to an approach of "lifesaving."

• Active parental involvement: Serving as an emotional anchor, parents must be alert to changes in appetite, sleep, and willingness to go to school, including receiving tools for conversation with the youth.

"It's worth the leap. The result is safety and belonging for the students"

Despite the natural hesitation school administrators feel toward integrating external partners within their walls, Cohen urges them to move forward with confidence.

"The combination of an informal emotional team, which is not busy with formal learning, allows for a freer discourse on more complex subjects," she concludes. "Working with additional interfaces expands the holistic envelope and eases the educational staff that has become worn out."