A tragic event at a school in Serbia left a big mark on the entire region and made the rest of the last school year more difficult and challenging for everyone. In order to further protect students, institutions began work on improving the prevention system. Now they have presented the results.
On May 22nd, 2023, the Government of the Canton Sarajevo (CS) adopted a Conclusion by which three working groups were formed to create a program for the prevention of unacceptable forms of behavior and the protection of students. Through the work of these groups, they looked at the already existing protection mechanisms that are already being applied in the CS.
All activities are themed and relate to addiction prevention, violence prevention, culture of remembrance, ecology, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, and mental health preservation.
Extracurricular activities
Among the activities that will be organized with the aim of preventing addiction are: swimming lessons for 6th graders, mountaineering school for 7th graders, a workshop “I see, learn, hear” for 8th graders, and screenings of films with motivating messages for 9th graders. Workshops “Who really wins?” and “Be a host/hostess” are intended for high school students.
“Parenting School”
One of the interdepartmental working groups prepared the “Parenting School” Program, which strengthens parental competencies with appropriate content.
“Parenting School” can help parents learn to understand their children, improve communication, and notice in time when their support is needed. The program includes short advice for parents, suggestions for joint activities between parents and children, and suggestions for topics that children and parents should discuss. Through workshops and talks, parents can learn when and how to seek support from family and experts. Special attention will be paid to the culture of communication, how to change it step by step, what not to say to a child and what are the most common parenting mistakes.
Recommendations for scheduling an appointment with a psychologist/psychiatrist
At the end of the last school year, there were recommendations that if a child threatens murder or suicide, he needs to be referred for a psychiatric evaluation without delay. In the new year, an examination by a psychologist and psychiatrist was included in the crisis response program.
Unfortunately, the tragedy that happened in Serbia brought unrest and concern to every parent, worker in educational institutions, and many children. But with timely and systematic prevention, as well as adequate reaction in crisis situations, we can protect children. From the above, we can see that the institutions are working on quality prevention, but it is necessary to see whether all this will really be implemented, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
