How safe behavior and emergency preparedness among youth in Serbia is becoming critical
In the world today, young people are exposed to even greater security challenges than ever before – online and offline..
Things get even more complicated in times of natural disasters or a pandemic we live today.
The researches conducted in Serbia confirm that young people are often not aware of the security risks and lack the skills to react properly in crisis.
OSCE in response
To empower the response of young people to different security challenges, the OSCE Mission to Serbia supported various activities implemented by the civil society organizations (CSO) in the first half of 2021, financed by the Government of Sweden.
More than 700 high school students in 11 cities in Serbia received training aimed at improving their response to crises.
“The formal education does not provide this kind of training,” says Miroslav Kragić, OSCE Mission to Serbia National Project Officer. ”We consider supporting non-formal education to be of great importance in strengthening safe behavior and emergency preparedness of young people.”
Prevention of peer violence
At the workshops organized by KOM018, a CSO from the City of Niš, more than 200 students from six high schools in Niš learned not only how to protect themselves and prevent peer violence, but also how to promote safe behavior in their peer group.
In 2019, the OSCE Mission to Serbia-supported research "Youth and Peer Violence" that showed that high school students do not know how to respond when it comes to peer violence.
“The main thing I have learned at the workshop is to recognize violent behaviour around me and the right way to respond to it,” says Pavle Tepavac.
CSO KOM018 uses dance, photography, street events to promote safe behavior among young people in the City of Niš.
“We couldn’t organize street events because of the COVID. However, we had to make drawings and conceptual photographs about the harmfulness of alcohol and psychoactive substances, the dangers of peer and cyber violence, and also about the importance of safe behavior during a pandemic," says a high school student from Niš, Vanja Kostić.
Special attention was paid to a safe behavior during the pandemic.
Nikola Božanović, the KOMO18 mentor, says their focus was to teach how to get to verified information, critical thinking, how to recognize conspiracy theories, or protect themselves from coronavirus. “Many of them are vaccinated; responsible young people who wear masks indoors and keep the distance. They are now trained to be peer educators.” Petar Marković, now a peer educator, says how he already used the skills acquired several times. “I managed to pass on some of my knowledge to my friends and seeing the difference happen within themselves and around.”
Parents and teachers in crises
The efficiency of the online training course organized by CSO Duga from the City of Šabac, is already yielding some positive results. Over 400 high school students from eight cities across Serbia are now better prepared to cope with the various forms of violence, both in school and on the streets, in the real and virtual world.
“Our goal was not only to transfer theoretical knowledge, but above all to make them feel supported by us,” says mentor Aleksandar Prica. “We want to help them cope with everything that could endanger their safety, mental and physical health. Young people understood the importance of constructive communication and openness to parents and teachers in crises,"
One of the participants, a high school student from Belgrade, shared her experience with online violence. “We encouraged her to inform her parents and the school. The student came out of that process empowered, and now as a peer educator, helping in prevention of cyber violence,”explains Prica.
Sanja Popovic, a high school student, says how she would no longer accept friends’ requests from people she does not know personally. “We should never meet people we met through social networks because we can become a victim of robberies, kidnappings or rapes and that is the message I keep sharing,” says Sanja.
From first aid to how to use a fire extinguisher
High school students from Novi Sad and Kraljevo learned how to protect themselves and others during disasters and emergencies.
“It is especially important that we have learned how to bandage wounds and how to provide first aid,” says a student from Novi Sad, Iva Novaković. “We all knew that heart massage is done by pressing on the chest, but not that the hands should stand straight at an angle of 90 degrees"
The mentors Branislava Arađan and Sandra Popović say that most young people are not aware of their role in reducing the risk of disasters. “Now they know that they can save someone's life if they react properly, or how to protect themselves from floods, fire, earthquake and that is the great value of these workshops."
“In case of a flood, I should turn off electrical appliances, avoid moving in water if I don't know how deep it is, climb to the highest point and wait there for help," says a high school student from Novi Sad.
With the help of firefighters students mastered how to use a fire extinguisher.
“It is really useful to know how to operate a fire extinguisher. The fire on the electrical installations must not be extinguished with water, for instance. " says high school student Milica Kojić.
Non-formal education continues
Both participants and mentors are unanimous in their assessment that emergency preparedness training courses are of enormous significance for the safety of young people.
“The OSCE Mission is committed to strengthening the safe behavior of young people in the real and online world, as well as their preparedness to respond effectively in emergencies,” says the Head of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, Ambassador Jan Braathu. “We continue to work closely with young people, hoping to make a difference in their lives in the communities.”
*The OSCE Mission to Serbia continues its support for young people within the project "Consolidation of the process of democratization in the security sector in the Republic of Serbia", financially supported by the Government of Sweden.”