Violence against children is most common within their families and a traditional understanding of family relations in the Montenegrin society contributes to its underreporting, it was said at a conference in Podgorica organized by the government and UNICEF.
The conference named Let’s Stop Violence is also supported by Telenor Foundation.
“Even the most hardened economist will tell you that the best investment of public funds in early childhood development, because on average, on every dollar invested it brings up to $17 return,” said UNICEF’s representative Benjamin Perks.
Ombudsman Sucko Bakovic said that based on their work with children, it was evident that the problem of violence against children was present in Montenegrin society, particularly domestic violence, bullying in schools and peer violence.
“Violence is the most widespread in the family. In the most cases children are victims – witnesses of violence. Traditional understanding of family and family relations contributes to underreporting of this violence, ie that it remains within the family,” said Bakovic, adding that the existing system of records on cases of violence, the measures taken and the final outcome of the treatment was not satisfactory.
According to him, in order to curb domestic violence and thus violence against children, measures to must be significantly stepped up in the first place, primarily through efficient investigation of each reported case and adequate punishing policy.
He added that peer violence became increasingly topical.
“The presence of peer violence and more complaints from students against bulling in schools, the school environment or local community, suggest that violence among and against children is on the rise, or perhaps that children are freer to speak about it and report violence”, Bakovic said.
Ministers whose departments participated in the development of the 2017–2021 Strategy for Prevention and Protection of Children against Violence said that the government was prepared and determined to oppose violence against children, as one of the most negative phenomena in society.
Minister of labour and social welfare Kemal Purisic said that the specific Strategy objectives were defined so that in the next four years the state assets would be directed towards the strengthening of the protection system, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international documents regulating this field.
He said that his ministry would co-ordinate the process of preparing an analysis of the legal framework on violence against children, in order to identify the need for changes and passing new legislation that will regulate the area.
He also said that the ministry would participate in creating a national children’s home for victims of violence together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and partners. The home will develop special programs for child victims.
As explained, in the children’s home, experts will conduct forensic interviews with children who have been exposed to sexual and physical abuse or domestic violence. Medical examinations will be carried out, as well as trauma assessment and short-term treatment.
Justice minister Zoran Pazin said that it was necessary to establish the register of persons convicted of crimes against sexual freedom committed against children.
He believes that children and their representatives should be informed on the Rights of the Child and the available support services within the judicial system, as well as that the databases of all relevant ministries should be connected in the section dealing with violence against children.
Minister of health, Kenan Hrapovic, said that children’s health was the highest capital of a society and a prerequisite of sustainable development.
“The traumatic experiences in childhood leave scars and bad memories weaken the biological human system,” said Hrapovic.
Education minister, Damir Sehovic said that school was a place where general social climate and family values intersect.
He called in mind that the ministry, in cooperation with UNICEF, began the project School without Violence in the 2005/2006 school year. The project was designed for students, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and the community, in order to prevent violence among school children.
“It is important that all staff in schools know how to recognise indicators of violence – physical, psychological, sexual, bullying, as well as financial and material abuse and social isolation,” said Sehovic.
According to him, it is especially important to notice neglecting child’s needs and other forms of abuse in schools and that school staff are ready and professional to react and report suspicions of violence, abuse and neglect.
Interior minister Mevludin Nuhodzic said that his department would make further efforts to protect children from domestic violence and physical punishment.
Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Mehmed Zenka said that children were the greatest wealth of the Montenegrin society and that violence against them must be prevented.
“The presence of a large number of government representatives is a proof that the government is committed to combat the most negative phenomena of a society,” said Zenka.
He said that there was a violence dimension that destroyed a whole generation of children. According to him, politicians were the biggest culprits for that.
“One way to combat violence is that politicians are leading a peaceful policy,” Zenka pointed out.
