Youth Delinquency Decreasing

Novi Sad, March 02, 2010 (Souce: Beta) – The percentage of delinquency among young people in Serbia has decreased in 2010, according to the Interior Ministry and Police Administration. Police Chief Mladen Kuribak said that the trust of citizens in the police has increased. Vojvodina Speaker Šandor Egereši said that the statistics of violence among minors is “defeating and frightening,” which is a great concern for him as a parent of two young children. He said that it is encouraging that the public is aware of the presence of violence in the community, and that there is a readiness for young people to help people who are victims of violence. Vojvodina Education Secretary Zoltan Jegeš said that in multi-national communities, the “Safe School” program has shown concrete results, with the number of incidents decreasing in these communities. School teacher Zdenka Ivković said that it is important to work on preventing violence in schools, instead of handing out punishment once violence has occurred. She said that the Novi Sad school she works in has received a “School Without Violence” certificate from a UNICEF program that contributed to a change in the mentality of those working in the schools, enabling them to recognize all forms of violence.