Commentary
The two recent mass shootings in Belgrade, Serbia, have taken the world by surprise. Hence, it is necessary to look into the reasons which may have contributed to or facilitated these tragedies.
One of the co-authors of this commentary lives in Belgrade and, thus, is able to provide a Serbian perspective on these tragedies.
The first shooting occurred at an elite elementary school. The students in this school mainly come from wealthy families. Their parents are predominantly former athletes, politicians, doctors, lawyers, and successful entrepreneurs, but some work in less socially accepted professions.
Although the school’s students lead a privileged life, bullying behaviour by classmates and even teaching staff is very common. The child, who shot and killed nine people, was regularly bullied….