The increasing number of minors participating in violent incidents, from fights and assaults to thefts and other crimes, indicates that peer violence in Montenegro is taking on worrying proportions.
Behind this trend lies a serious social problem that often remains without an adequate institutional response. Experts warn of insufficient implementation of regulations in schools, a lack of professional staff, and the absence of adequate psychological support in the community.
Fights in schools, hooded hooligans, arrests for violent behavior... More and more often, the perpetrators of these acts are minors, which confirms the worrying increase in peer violence in Montenegro. For years, the lack of protection mechanisms, as well as the absence of preventive work with children, has been pointed out.
"One of the things I would like to emphasize is the family environment, because we are aware that poor family relationships and neglect in raising and educating children play a very important role in the further development of delinquent behavior in young people," said Marko Maraš, a bachelor of psychology.
Maraš emphasizes that the consequences of peer violence can be long-lasting and serious.
"We can list a few, for example, problems with self-confidence, the appearance of anxiety, problems in social interactions, which can later lead to problems in establishing lasting emotional relationships, starting a family, problems with employment, and in extreme cases, it can lead to various psychopathological diseases," he said.
Although awareness of the problem is present, the Parents Association points out that institutional mechanisms, including schools, often fail, which is why parents of children who suffer violence are increasingly left without clear information about who to turn to.
"When it comes to peer violence, we persistently deal with the consequences, we deal with how we will react when violence occurs, what mechanisms should exist when violence occurs, however, things happen long before that and they happen for an extremely long period of time, most often without us reacting. First of all, we insist on the responsibility that exists when it comes to children and when it comes to parents, schools and social work centers, everyone in the chain has their share of responsibility," said Kristina Mihailović from the "Parents" association.
Despite these challenges, there is hope in the initiative and awareness of young people. Representatives of the civil sector, such as non-governmental organizations, are actively working to raise awareness about mental health.
"As for my peers, I would say that they are very aware of this issue. I will personally soon organize some workshops related to mental health, specifically with educational institutions, so that in addition to the community that follows the non-governmental sector, a wider community and a wider spectrum of people will be familiar with such an important topic," said psychology student and director of the NGO "Psycho Circle", Borislav Vukotić.
Although peer violence is a global phenomenon, its growth in Montenegro points to deep problems in the family, education and institutions. Various sectors are saying that no link in the system must remain silent, because the consequences suffered by children can be felt by society years later.
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