A recent newspaper article revealed that over the past nine months, 10,600 Greek youth have been arrested for theft, drug possession, committing bodily harm, or possessing a deadly weapon.
The Greek Minister of Citizen Protection addressed this rise in juvenile delinquency, explaining that there has been a 43% increase in arrests of underage offenders compared to 2023. Of the 10,600 arrests made so far this year, 2,285 were arrested for theft, and 873 for drug possession.
This wave of youth violence is strongly correlated with the rising popularity of trap culture in Greece – a relatively new phenomenon that is eroding safety in schools, public spaces, and society at large. It is part of a larger problem taking hold of Greece involving the rejection of traditional Hellenism and the glorification of counterculture deviancy.
“The worrying thing is that we have gangs [now],” said Michalis Chrysochoidis, minister of citizen protection. “It’s an issue that needs management in the square, at school, [and] in society.”
If you’ve been following the KTE movement for a while, you already know we openly condemn the popularization of gang activity and “trap culture” that is currently taking hold in Greece. As Greek Americans who grew up surrounded by the Western culture many Greek youths glorify, we have seen the same social and cultural pressures erode our society in America, and now they are threatening to do the same to Greece.
10,600 youth arrests for violent assaults is a staggering number that reflects the rapidly changing culture in Greece and how it materializes into real political and social issues. Just in the last few months, there have been multiple high-profile incidents where students have been arrested for the assault of their classmates or even their teachers.
Greeks across Greece should be disgusted by the actions of these young Greeks who show a blatant disregard for their peers, revealing their propensity for violence and ghetto culture.
KTE aims to emphasize through this article that this is not only a troubling new development previously foreign to Greek culture, but the logical consequence of the cultural imperialism that segments of international Western culture seek to promote. In America and throughout the Western world, the culture of drugs, violence, and objectification of women has been promoted through music, television, and social media.
Greece is engaged in a struggle for its soul. Whether we like it or not, Greece is changing faster than anyone can comprehend, and the difference between having a country where it is safe for children to go to school and one where nearly 11,000 kids are arrested for violence comes down to the values shared by society. When the music and art that is promoted by society encourages kids to be violent, do drugs, and objectify women, we should not be surprised when such actions occur inside Greek schools.
The Greek government simply arresting these violent kids will not address the root of this problem – we must restructure society around traditional values and religious spirituality. Otherwise, we will be left without a Greece to leave our grandchildren.