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Violence Prevention Program
Animus Association - Pernik
Background
Working on programs for women who have suffered violence, the Animus Association is aware that solving the problem with violence should start with childhood and the family as a whole.
In 1999 the school management of 13th St. St. Cyril and Metodij Secondary School in Pernik invited the team to conduct a seminar with the families of teenagers with non-social and devious behavior. On April 17-18, 1999, a 15 hour psycho training was held under the theme Parents, children, roles and relationship that aimed at examining the families atmosphere. The family violence with its different forms and manifestations affirmed itself as a leading topic during the two-day seminar. With the help of drama, participants in the seminar became witnesses of various models of behavior and of the existing differences in the attitude and notions at an intergeneration level.
Working on programs for women who have suffered violence, the Animus Association is aware that solving the problem with violence should start with childhood and the family as a whole.
In 1999 the school management of 13th St. St. Cyril and Metodij Secondary School in Pernik invited the team to conduct a seminar with the families of teenagers with non-social and devious behavior. On April 17-18, 1999, a 15 hour psycho training was held under the theme Parents, children, roles and relationship that aimed at examining the families atmosphere. The family violence with its different forms and manifestations affirmed itself as a leading topic during the two-day seminar. With the help of drama, participants in the seminar became witnesses of various models of behavior and of the existing differences in the attitude and notions at an intergeneration level.
Practice
The main directions of the work during the seminars were:
- How to detect and speak about taboo topics like family violence, teenagers devious behavior, dependencies (alcohol and drugs);
- How is the issue of different generations present in our family;
- How is the change of attitude and values between the different generations affecting the relationship in families;
- How can we join our efforts to work for identifying violence and restraining it in family relations and in students relations, respectively etc.
The main difficulty was in organizing of meetings in the schools in which the pending seminars were scheduled. It turned out that the idea to conduct seminars and to work with children was not accepted in all the schools. Overcoming the obstacles and establishing confidence can be achieved by building closer contacts with the schools directors, so that the project s idea should become more clear and the desire for cooperation, complementing efforts and mutual assistance should be emphasized.
The seminars brought satisfaction when in the presence of the team parents and children were changed, spoke and realized things that they had not confessed to themselves until then. They also brought gratitude and feedback from the participants in the seminars, who said Thanks God that you are here ; Thank you for helping me understand my problems with my child. They are not different from those of other families with children of the same age. ; Thank you for making me understand that if I drink, smoke and scream, it is not a reason for other people to hate and reject me ; I took comfort because people in the group are accepting me for what I am, for the things I speak and show .
The Animus Association team received valuable information from great number of people in schools who are very open-minded. Among these people who contributed with their understanding and assistance are Mrs. Simeonova, Director of 13th St. St. Cyril and Metodij Secondary School; the school management and all the teachers from TMD Juri Gagarin , as well as its pedagogical adviser Mrs. Novachkova; the pedagogical adviser of the Language School Simeon Radev - Mrs. Nacheva; the pedagogical adviser of the Secondary School Dr. Petar Beron" Mrs. Krasimira Djenkova; Mrs. Milena Vitanova from 11th Primary School Elin Pelin ; Mrs. Raika Ivanova from 1st Primary School St. Ivan Rilski , and the directors of these schools.
The main directions of the work during the seminars were:
- How to detect and speak about taboo topics like family violence, teenagers devious behavior, dependencies (alcohol and drugs);
- How is the issue of different generations present in our family;
- How is the change of attitude and values between the different generations affecting the relationship in families;
- How can we join our efforts to work for identifying violence and restraining it in family relations and in students relations, respectively etc.
The main difficulty was in organizing of meetings in the schools in which the pending seminars were scheduled. It turned out that the idea to conduct seminars and to work with children was not accepted in all the schools. Overcoming the obstacles and establishing confidence can be achieved by building closer contacts with the schools directors, so that the project s idea should become more clear and the desire for cooperation, complementing efforts and mutual assistance should be emphasized.
The seminars brought satisfaction when in the presence of the team parents and children were changed, spoke and realized things that they had not confessed to themselves until then. They also brought gratitude and feedback from the participants in the seminars, who said Thanks God that you are here ; Thank you for helping me understand my problems with my child. They are not different from those of other families with children of the same age. ; Thank you for making me understand that if I drink, smoke and scream, it is not a reason for other people to hate and reject me ; I took comfort because people in the group are accepting me for what I am, for the things I speak and show .
The Animus Association team received valuable information from great number of people in schools who are very open-minded. Among these people who contributed with their understanding and assistance are Mrs. Simeonova, Director of 13th St. St. Cyril and Metodij Secondary School; the school management and all the teachers from TMD Juri Gagarin , as well as its pedagogical adviser Mrs. Novachkova; the pedagogical adviser of the Language School Simeon Radev - Mrs. Nacheva; the pedagogical adviser of the Secondary School Dr. Petar Beron" Mrs. Krasimira Djenkova; Mrs. Milena Vitanova from 11th Primary School Elin Pelin ; Mrs. Raika Ivanova from 1st Primary School St. Ivan Rilski , and the directors of these schools.
Results
The seminars organized showed clearly the need for focused work in respect of family violence and devious behavior of children. Seminars are impending in 3th school in Pernik and the community center in Batanci. Many children desire to become members of the Teenager Club . Some of the participants have started using the therapeutic programs of the center and to work individually with a person from the team. An additional program for work with teenagers is being prepared. This is a project designed together with the Municipal Center for Social Assistance in Pernik (MCSA), and financed by the Open Society Foundation. Within this project the organization is setting the task to help teenagers by joining efforts and cooperating with the team of MCSA, by using its premises and the resources of its social workers.
The seminars organized showed clearly the need for focused work in respect of family violence and devious behavior of children. Seminars are impending in 3th school in Pernik and the community center in Batanci. Many children desire to become members of the Teenager Club . Some of the participants have started using the therapeutic programs of the center and to work individually with a person from the team. An additional program for work with teenagers is being prepared. This is a project designed together with the Municipal Center for Social Assistance in Pernik (MCSA), and financed by the Open Society Foundation. Within this project the organization is setting the task to help teenagers by joining efforts and cooperating with the team of MCSA, by using its premises and the resources of its social workers.
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