Hanoi (VNA) - It is high time that Vietnam strengtheneducation on laws and life skills for young citizens so they haveself-restraint in conflicts, psychologists have said.

The statement was made after a series of violent incidents werefilmed and went viral online, mostly between foreigners and Vietnamese youths,stirring public concern over the aggressive behavior and morals of thoseinvolved.

Last week, a video clip of a fight in the tourist town of Sa Pa townwent viral. A Dutch national, carrying his wife on the motorbike, almostcollided with a car full of Vietnamese men. The Dutchman argued with the driverabout his dangerous driving and pushed the driver, who then, together with fourother men, attacked the foreigner.

Colonel Tran Van Truong, head of Sa Pa district’s PoliceDepartment, said police had investigated the case.

Previously, on June 26, Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung district policeprosecuted two suspects for deliberately injuring a foreigner. The two, aged 26and 29 respectively, were detained for further investigation.

Dr Pham Manh Ha, deputy head of youth work department of the VietnamYouth Academy said violent acts, sparked by minor trafficincidents, showed that people tended to care only about themselves,regardless of right and wrong.

Daily pressures and long-term stress might contribute to theviolence, he said.

PhD Huynh Van Son, a psychologist, said that the essence of theproblem was aggressive human behavior, which was out of control.

PhD Do Van Quan of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences saidthat this emerging evil was a societal disease, caused by unrest in modernsociety, or a series of long-term pressures, annoyances or frustrations thatpeople kept inside.

Thus, they would argue, fight, or even kill someone to relievetheir suffering when they could not find a way to change their lives, he said.

PhD Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for SocialDevelopment Studies, said that these recent cases were not new, but werehappening more regularly and dangerously.

Hong said currently, there was no scientific research on thereasons of the issue. However, she cited that it was noticeable that most ofthe cases were caused by young people who lacked life skills and had littleability to control their impulses.

For years, the national education system has only focused onknowledge and ignored educating its students on life skills. In addition,education on legal knowledge and the implementation of laws is ineffective.

Some have even lost their faith in law, and decided to deal withconflicts with violence, she said.

Hong also said that society is part of the problem. Bystanderssupported the aggressors instead of helping solve the conflict.

According to the psychologists, it was necessary to improve thelegal knowledge and life skills of young citizens, by both schools andfamilies.

Families play an important role in teaching them love,self-reliance and thinking skills to face unexpected circumstances.-VNA