Background

The greater part of the activity and programs of the Youth Educational Center Open World Haskovo (YEC) are directed to the young people and their problems. One of them maltreating children is a problem deserving serious attention. In the present context our country lacks an effective system for prevention and assistance to maltreated children. The existing institutions and organizations, having relation with the problem, are working on their own, without coordination between themselves. There is no structure at a municipal level, which can find, take in and help children and families with similar problems. In the educational system there are not any programs and structures playing preventing role regarding maltreatment.

Practice

YEC Open World Haskovo implemented the project No to Violence Tomorrow , financed under the PHARE LIEN program of the European Union, directed to the prevention and assistance to maltreated children. The project s goals were: - Joining the efforts of all interested parties and establishing a sustainable community of people who share the same views residents, specialists and institutions for solving the problems of maltreated children;
- Setting up the necessary structures of civil society for effective solving of the problem at municipal level;
- Training young people in coping with violence;
- Enhancing legal culture and the psychological and social competence of children, teachers and parents;
- Creating a model of a system for finding and supporting maltreated children.

The project No to Violence Tomorrow was realized by means of several underlying activities: 1. Information and consultancy activity A team of YEC Open World has conducted psychological, pedagogical, juridical, and other consultations of children, teachers and parents. The team implemented corrective activities as well psychotherapeutic assistance for children and their families who have encountered the problem. Together with the direct consultancy assistance, the information and consultation center fulfilled educational duties too instructed residents from the municipality, proved that there is a place and opportunities for receiving help, assistance and information about children s problems. An important achievement was raising awareness in Haskovo publicity that there is a problem with violence on children and it is an issue of curent interest. 2. Prevention of violence In nine schools in Haskovo clubs for social skills and settling conflicts SOS Friends were set up, in which students, teachers, pedagogical advisors and parents took part. The clubs have passed a three-module training of social skills conducted by YEC Open World . The themes of the training were: - Citizen education; - Settling conflicts and solving problems; - Consulting peers. The clubs created school strategies for citizen education, problem solving and children rights defence. Their activity was connected with the consulting of peers and the information campaigns. 3. Information and publicity activity Under the project, YEC Open World has prepared four information news sheets focused on children s rights, in assistance of children and parents, and produced posters and cards as well. The information materials were distributed in schools and institutions and among the citizens of Haskovo. The project team organized meetings with journalists, took part in interviews and reportages devoted to violence on children.

Results

- Setting up an information team, information and consultancy center and 9 school clubs for developing social skills;
- Implementing prevention activities provision of information on the subject and training in effective social skills;
- Production of four news sheets, a poster and cards;
- Providing direct consultancy assistance to maltreated children; - Informing and making the public sensitive to the problem; - Effective cooperation with the media for promoting the ideas of the project and of the PHARE -Lien program;
- Beginning a good cooperation with municipal services for social care in Haskovo and the region;
- Support from NGOs in Haskovo for distributing the project s information materials.