A Swedish teacher who works at a school in a Stockholm suburb with a largely immigrant population has revealed she is regularly followed home, threatened with violence, and called “dirty” by pupils because she is White and a Christian.
In a damning interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen, the teacher spoke about the extent of abuse she regularly receives from pupils at her workplace in Järva, an area with a high number of migrants that has become notorious for gun violence and gang-related crime.
The 60-something educator said she has become used to working in a violent environment and is often insulted by pupils who call her a “whore” and tell her, “I’m going to fuck your mother.”
Threats have become so commonplace, the teacher, who is referred to only as “Gunvor,” revealed she has considered wearing a protective vest as a precautionary measure when at work.
“At school, the students say I’m dirty. By ‘dirty’ they mean that I am white and Christian,” she told the Swedish newspaper. “Don’t touch me, you’re dirty, they shout.”
However, it is not just insults that the female teacher faces as she recounts clear incidents of harassment and intimidation by students, including a pupil following her home after she reprimanded him in class.
“He started stalking me a couple of times after work in the evening. I don’t really care that much, but he said, ‘Be careful’ and other similar expessions,” she revealed.
Gunvor also told Expressen how one pupil followed her home and stood outside her front door with a group of friends; they then attempted to gain entry.
“I heard them trying to get in through the door. Then I received about 53 text messages with the message that I should be careful; there were also pictures of me. They sent lyrics from rap songs.”
She explained how she feels unable to take public transport to work due to safety concerns.
“It feels too unsafe,” she said, adding that she rents a parking spot near the school and pays someone to guard her vehicle during school hours to ensure it is not vandalized.
Despite the torrent of abuse she receives, Gunvor remained resilient when asked about her future at the school and insisted she would not let the bullies and harassers win.
“I am not afraid at work, but it is unpleasant. The salary is very high, and that helps. They won’t make me move; I’m enjoying myself anyway.”
She did, however, admit that a number of staff who have experienced similar ordeals have found it too much to cope with and have left their jobs.
“Among the staff, people have resigned,” she said, adding that other teachers remain vigilant regarding which students to watch out for, those with dangerous family members who may already be in organized gangs themselves.
Many schools across Sweden, particularly those in the capital of Stockholm, are situated in areas where gang violence is prevalent. Recent mapping by Swedish broadcaster SVT revealed that 16 percent of school children attend a school where one or more shootings have taken place within a 500-meter radius in the last three years.
Over 700 shootings have taken place near schools in Sweden in the last three years alone, the majority of which were gang-related.