The main recommendation following the Kerch massacre is to improve security capacities in educational institutions. To change approaches towards student education is a less frequent answer.
MOSCOW, October 23, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a study devoted to the Kerch college shooting.
The Kerch college explosion has become a national tragedy: 96% of Russians are aware of what happened.
Two-thirds (64%) say that it was a mass murder committed by a student. Every fifth (21%) thinks it was a terrorist attack committed by an unknown group.
According to Russians, to avoid future attacks it is important to improve security capacity in colleges (28%), to improve professional skills of security officers, to replace doormen with professionals and to allow security checks (18%). A further 16% consider it necessary to carry out awareness-raising activities among students. In addition, 12% say that more attention should be paid to outreach activities at home and at school. Every tenth (9%) thinks it is essential to toughen legislation on gun control; 7% propose to limit exposure to media violence and to ban computer games.
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on October 19, 2018. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
An explosion occurred on Wednesday at Kerch College. Over 20 persons were killed and over 50 were injured. Have you heard anything about that? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
I am well aware of that | 59 |
I heard something but do not know any details | 37 |
This is the first time I hear about that | 4 |
Don’t know | 0 |
In your opinion, what happened at Kerch college? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
Mass murder committed by a student | 64 |
Terrorist attack by an unknown group | 21 |
Other | 3 |
Domestic gas explosion | 2 |
Provocation by someone | 0 |
Don’t know | 10 |
In your opinion, what should the Russian authorities do to prevent such attacks in educational institutions? (open-ended question, not more than 5 answers; answers by at least 1% of respondents, % of total respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
To improve security capacities in educational institutions (surveillance, access, metal detectors, parents and teachers on duty) | 28 |
To improve the skills of security officers, to replace doormen for professionals, to allow security checks | 18 |
Awareness-raising work with students, propaganda, outreach campaigning, conversations with psychologists | 16 |
To pay more attention to children and young adults’ education both at schools and at home | 12 |
To toughen the legislation on gun control | 9 |
To limit exposure to media violence (TV, Internet), to ban computer games | 7 |
Organization of leisure, work, employment among the young people | 6 |
To improve the entrance security at schools | 4 |
To increase vigilance inside the educational institutions, the vigilance of people around | 3 |
Private security companies at schools should be replaced with state-owned security agencies | 3 |
Preventive activities aimed at families and children | 2 |
Mandatory check, forced treatment and registration with a mental health institution | 2 |
To develop and reform the education system | 2 |
To improve the work of security agencies | 2 |
To strengthen control over social networks | 1 |
To strengthen control over schools carried out by special agencies | 1 |
To increase the number of checks at educational institutions | 1 |
To increase cultural intelligence | 1 |
To reduce class divide | 1 |
To pay more attention to domestic policies | 1 |
To strengthen control over the young people | 1 |
Improve people’s financial well-being | 1 |
Nothing | 1 |
Other | 3 |
Don’t know | 22 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!