In the last few days, Montenegro has been rocked by incidents in which minors play a major role: hooded hooligans attacking children in Podgorica, fights at city swimming pools, cases of violent behavior and theft - all linked by one worrying trend: they are all committed by teenagers.
Appearing on Boje jutra, a morning program on TV Vijesti, the president of the International Police Organization, Ivan Pekić, assessed that juvenile delinquency is on the rise and that the problems that are now culminating have been going on for years. He highlighted the influence of social networks that are used to schedule and record violence, which further normalizes deviant behavior among young people.
"Believe me, I've analyzed it, in most cases they do it when there are elections in about a dozen municipalities in Montenegro and many other things, or if it's the summer tourist season, so the Police Directorate hires additional police officers on the Montenegrin coast, so they always take advantage of some moment. Violence that escalates from peer violence in elementary and secondary schools throughout Montenegro is something that is also related to juvenile delinquency," says Pekić.
Special emphasis was placed on the problem of peer violence and the use of cold weapons, but also on the increasingly frequent false bomb reports, which in 90 percent of cases, according to him, turn out to be sent by minors.
Parents worried, institutions slow
Valentina Komnenić from the Parents' Council of Podgorica's "Radojica Perović" Elementary School says that parents are afraid and that trust in institutions has been seriously shaken.
"Unfortunately, these kinds of videos are no longer a surprise. The problem is that as a society we are becoming indifferent. Our children are not even safe when they play in front of the building," Komnenić pointed out.
The parents' council is calling for urgent measures, including the introduction of police officers into neighborhoods. A petition has been launched that can be signed until the end of the school year. It is also calling for the strengthening of school psychological and pedagogical services, regular workshops and education on internet safety, and the systematic introduction of these topics into the curriculum.
The solution in prevention and parental responsibility
Pekić emphasizes that repressive measures come too late and that prevention is key, with the involvement of parents, schools, the civil sector and institutions.
"Children who are neglected at home, those who come from dysfunctional families, often seek attention through deviant behavior. Parents are the umbrella institution. If a child falsely reports a bomb, the parent must bear the consequences," says Pekić.
He advocates for amendments to the Juvenile Delinquency Act, which would introduce parental responsibility for serious violations by their children, including fines or prison sentences.
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