Since the beginning of the school year, 115 cases of peer violence have been recorded in schools alone.
"Vijesti" was told by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MPNI) that, according to data from the Montenegrin Education Information System (MEIS), there were 87 cases of peer violence in primary schools and 28 in secondary schools.
The way in which institutions are fighting this problem is already being examined by the State Audit Institution (SAI), through a performance audit "Success in Combating Peer Violence in Montenegro", the findings and recommendations of which should be known by the end of September.
However, Senator DRI warns for "Vijesti" Branislav Radulović, certain problems have already been identified at this stage.
He points out that statistical data and media reports indicate a significant problem.
"Namely, one of the key problems identified in relation to the implementation of measures to combat peer violence relates to the failure of educational institutions to comply with prescribed procedures, as stated in the information we received from the Institute for Education. Thus, out of 140 primary and secondary schools that submitted reports to the Institute for Education, in only 15 did the teams for combating peer violence do their job as prescribed. In 2023, 166 cases of peer violence were registered in social work centers, among children aged seven to 18, with a larger number of boys being victims of violence. In 2024, the Ministry of Education recorded 114 cases of peer violence in schools and schoolyards, of which 61 in primary and 53 in secondary schools," emphasizes Radulović.
According to him, auditors are currently collecting relevant documentation, information and data for the preparation of the study, as well as planning further audit activities.
However, he points out, the course of the audit so far shows that the Annual Report on the Implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Suppression of Peer Violence for the period from 2017 to 2021 (for 2020) has not been prepared.
"But neither has the final report on the implementation of the Strategy and the Evaluation of the Implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Protection of Children from Violence from 2017 to 2021. Namely, the response from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography states that the Ministry is unable to send the requested documents because it does not have them," said Radulović, who announced this audit of success in early November last year, during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Labor and Social Welfare.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, he emphasizes, also stated in its response that they do not have information on whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs has finally drafted the Report on the Implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Protection of Children from Violence with the Action Plan for 2020, but also that "it was most likely not done because of the coronavirus."
"The response from the General Secretariat of the Government states that the Opinion of the General Secretariat on the Final Report on the Implementation of the Strategy is not available in the archive," Radulović specifies.
He recalls that the development of the Strategy was coordinated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs and representatives of the non-governmental sector.
"The new Strategy for the Prevention and Protection of Children from Violence for the period from 2025 to 2029, adopted at the session of the Government of Montenegro held on December 9, 2024, represents a time gap in strategic planning and institutional response to the problem of peer violence and indicates the need for better monitoring, reporting and coordination between institutions," said Radulović.
Giving up on what was giving results
The lack of coordination and agreement between institutions is also evidenced by Kristina Mihailović from the Parents Association.
"When it comes to peer violence and everything we have defined, recognized, tried to do, started to do, why are we unique? It seems to me that decades have passed, and there have been no changes or concrete results. When something was defined, when some solutions were found that could have worked and did work for a short time - until the coronavirus epidemic, we gave up on them after that. As the leadership in the ministries changed, people gave up. Some new solutions with questionable goals were adopted, not to mention the results, and we also returned to some half-baked, old solutions. All of this, when you look at the bigger picture, is quite chaotic," warned Mihailović.
According to her, at this moment "there is no one who is not dealing with peer violence."
"The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Council for Children's Rights... They have all made some proposals, measures, they all have something to suggest, but in reality there has been no progress. It is high time we got serious about peer violence, because the data shows us that this problem is increasingly present, and that we are not sufficiently aware of what needs to be done to change the situation," she emphasizes.
Mihailović also warns that at this moment, perhaps the greatest pressure is on the Police Directorate.
"Most cases of peer violence have been transferred to them, their officers and units. Even for the smallest cases, both those who want to report and the perpetrators are referred to them, which is an indicator that the family, but also the institutions that should deal with this problem, are not doing enough. When you go to the police because of a fight, a problematic video that is spreading on social networks, that is the consequence. That is a different form of action compared to what we need," she emphasized.
He emphasizes that Montenegrin society needs changes within families, in upbringing...
"The first step should be parents, the next - school, the next - social services and free support services that we do not have... When all that fails, the consequences come - how are we going to punish them, but the problematic behavior continues. The fact that we are going to state that it is only a matter of the family will not bring anyone anything good. We have to dedicate ourselves to the family, we have to influence the behavior within the family, to help it, and then, if necessary, by imposing certain solutions, insist that the problematic behavior changes, if we expect that peer violence will be reduced to an acceptable level. No, we will not suppress it, but we must have models that can be easily applied. Of course, only if we recognize the essential problem," says Mihailović.
She also pointed out that if we only deal with the results of violence, then we will be in the chaos we are in - "everyone has some measures, and no one communicates with anyone else and knows what others are doing."
"We are actually constantly defining measures that we know will not yield results. We need to get serious and the institutions of the system need to sit down together, make a concrete plan and start implementing what they already have written in many regulations, but have decided to ignore," says Mihailović.
High risks, long-term consequences
Radulović reminds us that solving the problem of peer violence is an issue of exceptional importance, given the increasingly prominent challenges in protecting children and youth in educational institutions.
“The protection of children from violence is guaranteed by the Constitution of Montenegro and is an integral part of national strategies and action plans for EU accession - Action Plan for Chapter 23. Montenegro, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, has committed itself to guaranteeing every girl and boy the right to live in peace and dignity and to protect them from all forms of violence, and thus Article 19 of the Convention defines the right to protection of children 'from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parents, legal guardians or any other person who has the care of the child'. The Council of Europe's Strategy for the Rights of the Child, for the period 2016-2021, lists this as one of the current and future challenges for the realization of children's rights. A life free from violence for all children is one of the priority areas, and growing up in the digital age is defined as one of the challenges "...to the world," said Radulović, adding that the UN Sustainable Development Strategy 2030, within one of the goals, states that "by the end of 2030, all students should acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a culture of peace and non-violence."
According to him, the audit subjects are the ministries of social welfare, family care and demography, education, science and innovation, internal affairs, health, the Council for Children's Rights, the Institute for Education, the Institute for Social and Child Protection and the Police Directorate.
"The audit risks from the aspect of social significance, from the aspect of data availability for assessing the fulfillment of result and impact indicators and the complexity of the topic were assessed by the SAI as high. Peer violence has long-term consequences for children, families and society, which makes this area a priority for policy evaluation," Radulović warned.
About assistants after the project is completed
One of the measures taken in recent years has been the training of school assistants in the prevention of peer violence and vandalism. The first generation of trained assistants monitored events in Montenegrin schools during this school year.
The Ministry of Education recalls that on September 16, 2024, they signed an Agreement on Cooperation with the Principals of Primary and Secondary Schools with the Department of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue, officially launching the Pilot Program "Prevention of Violence and Vandalism in Schools".
They remind that the pilot program lasts 10 months and is expected to contribute to reducing violence and vandalism in schools, as well as improving the overall safety of students and staff.
"After the implementation of the program, in addition to assessing the impact of the program on the target group, an evaluation of all program activities will be carried out, including the justification and efficiency of the funds spent. In the last month of the program implementation, the impact of the program in relation to the set goals will be summarized, any identified obstacles to the successful implementation of the program will be analyzed and conclusions will be drawn. In this way, a clear picture of the program's achievements will be obtained," Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović's department responded to the editorial staff.
They also note that during meetings with representatives of the Ministry, the assistants expressed interest and readiness to work, highlighted the support and challenges they encounter in performing this responsible task.
"It was jointly assessed that the goal of the program is not only to prevent violence, but also to improve the quality of the entire educational environment. Also, the reports on the work of the assistants assessed that the assistants perform their work responsibly and professionally in cooperation with the school administration," the Ministry of Education and Science emphasized.
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