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Recent incidents of arson involving secondary school girls have understandably generated concern, anger, and calls for stronger disciplinary measures.
While accountability and justice remain important, we must resist the temptation to view these incidents only through the lens of punishment. Because before a fire breaks out in a dormitory, something may already have been burning within the emotional lives of the students involved.
The real question is not simply “Why did they do it?” The deeper question is “What conditions make such actions thinkable in the first place?”
As an executive coach and emotional intelligence practitioner who works with leaders, institutions, parents, and young people across Africa, I have observed a recurring pattern. Human beings rarely destroy environments where they feel valued, heard, respected, and connected.
