Milan, 26 March (LaPresse) – "Incidents of violence such as the one in Bergamo are fuelled by the negative influence of social media, as demonstrated by various international studies. This is, in fact, a phenomenon that is not confined to Italy. However, a cultural shift is also needed. We were the first to take action by promoting education in respect and introducing free psychological support for students in difficulty. But schools cannot do everything.” So said Giuseppe Valditara, Minister of Education and Merit, in an interview with *Corriere della Sera*, commenting on yesterday’s incident at the comprehensive school in Via Damiano Chiesa in Trescore Balneario, in the province of Bergamo, where a 13-year-old student stabbed a teacher. “Social media are among the triggers. I was also discussing this with Paolo Crepet: their influence can be devastating due to the violence they contain and propagate to young people who do not yet have the maturity necessary to handle the pitfalls of these platforms,‘ adds Valditara, for whom ’the guarantee of anonymity, the spiral of hatred, extreme challenges and the dark web can overwhelm them. There is an unprecedented spread of violence online."