Juventas: To improve young people's trust in social institutions

Urgent action is needed in Montenegro in order to overcome the challenges associated with the glamorization of crime and breaking the law among young people, and trust in the system can only be restored by that population through improved and more frequent contact with the relevant institutions.

This was announced at the event "Clear the air" - Deconstruction of the glamorization of crime, the screening of the film "City of Gods", which was organized by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Juventas as part of the Seanema festival, PR Center reports.

The executive director of Juventas, Ivana Vujović, said that lately, crime is turning into real shows for the public, that it is not only becoming glamorous, but, as she clarified, it is normalizing, approaching comic forms.

"It puts us in front of a serious question of morality and social responsibility. We believe that it is high time that this topic is taken seriously and appropriate steps are taken. It is especially important to take into account that poverty and the lack of alternatives are factors that make children and young people vulnerable and prone to breaking the law," said Vujović.

He believes that clear boundaries must be set for young people, that violations of the law must be adequately responded to, and that support and assistance must be provided to them.

"The research we conducted in December 2021 showed that a significant percentage of young people have experience with breaking the law, often for fun, and that a significant percentage of minors have experience with alcohol. We conducted the research on a sample of 197 students from a high school. It is a pilot study, the data should be taken with a grain of salt, but they are indicative," Vujović said.

According to her, more than half of the surveyed high school students stated that they like to challenge themselves, take risks for fun, and excitement and adventure are more important to them than safety.

"Half of the respondents from that pilot study stated that their classes were not interesting, and that thefts, fights, vandalism and drug use were frequent in schools and the school environment. Every sixth high school student stated that they once carried a weapon such as a bat or a chain, and the same number of them once stole something from a store or department store," said Vujović.

She added that every fifth high school student once participated in a group fight.

"One in ten stated in the pilot survey that he had once injured a person using a bat or a knife. In another survey, which is representative of all high school students, and was conducted recently, every fifth student stated that he was a victim of peer violence," said Vujović.

When it comes to the relationship with the police, a pilot survey from 2021, as she pointed out, showed that 81,5 percent of the surveyed high school students believe that the police almost never or sometimes treat young people with respect.

"72,1 percent of them believe that the police almost never or sometimes make fair decisions when they treat young people, and 41,7 percent of the surveyed high school students believe that they are not obliged to do what the police tell them, if they do not understand the reasons, or do not agree with them. "Almost half of the surveyed high school students believe that the police would react slowly if they were called to come to the scene of a violent crime," stated Vujović.

She indicated that based on research and data, it is clear that urgent action is needed to overcome the challenges associated with the glamorization of crime and breaking the law among young people.

"Young people's trust in social institutions must be restored, and this can be achieved through improved and more frequent contact between young people and the relevant institutions of the system. It is necessary to develop programs that will identify young people at risk of conflict with the law and include them in support programs. Through the joint effort of society, institutions and parents, we can create an environment in which young people will develop a positive attitude towards the law and social values", explained Vujović.

Miloš Milačić, advisor to the Capacity Building, Research and Advocacy Program at Juventas, said that crime, violence, substance use, and the objectification of women are common themes in popular songs.

"These are some of the topics we listen to every day, and it is very important that we have forums like this, that we do research like this, so that we are all on our guard in relation to the influence that these songs and such achievements can have on young people. There is something called artistic expression, and we do not criticize or target the faces of those performers, but only point out the potentially negative consequences that this kind of art can have," said Milačić.

He reminded that the phenomenon of glamorizing crime in popular music is not something that exists only in the modern age, but has existed throughout the history of art, the history of music, literature, and painting.

"This is nothing new, it's just marketed in a different way, which can have a negative impact. That's why we need to talk more about it in order to have a healthier society and to always pay attention to the factors that influence the formation of value systems, especially among young people", Milačić concluded.

The director, Ilija Zeković, said that the film "City of Gods", directed by Fernando Meireles, released in 2002, is one of the best films of the 21st century.

"It is a film that has won numerous international awards, but what makes it the subject of discussion today is precisely that, as the main themes of the film, organized crime, corruption and the influence they have on the lives of young people pervade. The story is set in Brazil in the 60s and 70s of the last century. It is a very dynamic film, a very special world, which the director is building and a story that will keep you in suspense from beginning to end," Zeković said.

He agrees that works of art, regardless of whether they are movies, books, or songs, should be viewed with a critical attitude and reserve.

"At one point, this film may appear to us as a film that glorifies violence and crime, however, as the story progresses, you will all notice that the point is something else. In our country, the sentence is often said that the world rests with the young, but sometimes the question arises as to what kind of world remains for us and with what values, ambitions and desires we grow up in the world, which may have imposed the wrong values ​​as the main goal", he pointed out. Zeković.

The event is part of the "Clear the Air" project, realized by Juventas, funded by the OSCE, the Government of the Republic of Italy and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.