A set of measures to prevent children's participation in unauthorized mass events has been developed in the Vitebsk region
– This local document is dictated by the times. It was developed on the initiative of the commission for juvenile affairs, involves interdepartmental interaction, and is aimed at preventing the involvement and participation of minors in unauthorized processions, – said Tamara Olekhnovich, Deputy Chairperson of the Regional Commission for Juvenile Affairs.
According to Alexei Shakhovich, Deputy Head of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee, from August 9 to October 25, the police identified almost 200 minors who participated in unauthorized mass events, with the majority of them being schoolchildren and students of vocational and secondary specialized educational institutions.
The interdepartmental action algorithm defines how to organize work with this category. In particular, commissions for juvenile affairs are instructed to analyze the causes and conditions contributing to children's participation in unauthorized mass events, and in case of notification of their participation, to take measures against parents or other legal representatives who improperly perform their upbringing duties.
Healthcare institutions, in case of parents seeking medical assistance for children with injuries sustained during mass events, will inform the internal affairs bodies about these facts. If the child's life and health were threatened in this way, the education department has the right to temporarily place the minor in a safe environment, and if an unfavorable family situation is identified, to transfer them to the care of relatives and initiate a social investigation.
In turn, law enforcement officials, when detaining legal representatives with minors at unauthorized mass events, must promptly inform the guardianship and trusteeship authorities. Both law enforcement officers and educators conduct informational and explanatory work with students and their parents regarding the consequences and responsibility for participating in unauthorized mass events. In order to prevent such incidents, educators will identify students prone to destructive behavior for subsequent preventive and corrective work with them. A repeated instance of a child's participation is a reason to initiate work in accordance with Resolution No. 22 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus on identifying family dysfunction and taking measures for child protection by the state.
The consequences of such street gatherings for the younger generation are that 19 minors in the region have been brought to administrative responsibility, and about 10 protocols are still under consideration by the commission on juvenile affairs.
– Explanatory work is being carried out in educational institutions with the participation of law enforcement officers. At the same time, new underage participants of unauthorized rallies are identified almost every weekend. Therefore, we need additional measures that define the procedure for child protection specialists and preventive measures to prevent children's participation in such processions for their own safety, – emphasized the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Vladimir Penin.
Analysis of the reasons for teenagers' participation in unauthorized rallies, identified by educators and law enforcement officers during conversations with minors, showed that children join them, as a rule, out of curiosity, misunderstanding of the political situation, and massive information dissemination on the internet. In this regard, the meeting participants concluded that it is necessary today to convey reliable information to young people that refutes fakes. To reach the modern generation, it is necessary to actively use internet technologies and trust-based explanatory conversations with individuals who enjoy authority and respect among children.
New approaches are also needed to prevent juvenile delinquency. Although its reduction is observed in the Vitebsk region over 9 months (122 crimes were registered this year, compared to 158 in the same period in 2019), problematic areas remain offenses committed under the influence of alcohol and in groups. Their increase is noted in Vitebsk, Novopolotsk, Orsha, Polotsk, and Miory districts. Vladimir Penin instructed the local executive authorities to understand the causes and conditions of these offenses and, if necessary, to determine additional measures of influence to reverse the negative trend.