Image: fotokerschi.at
The riots on Halloween night in Linz are intolerable and young violent offenders “should feel the full force of the law. The followers too,” says Integration Councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (VP). However, the incidents from the recent past are also a “clear order of action” for youth work in the country.
Together with Volkshilfe, the integration and youth department has developed a package of measures entitled “Respect” to prevent youth violence. The concept was created with the involvement of experts from youth social work, psychologists and special youth contact officers from the police.
With workshops, the employees of the Volkshilfe want to reach the pupils from the fourth grade upwards (new middle schools, polytechnic schools and technical schools) in so-called “hotspot schools” in the greater Linz area. There should be 36 workshops of two hours each. It’s not just about theory, practical exercises and role-playing games are also intended to illustrate the content and make it comprehensible.
avoid escalation
The “Be Courageous” workshop is about what civil courage means, says Michael Schodermayr, chairman of the Volkshilfe Oberösterreich. The aim is to say no if violence is to occur in a group of young people. The participants should learn “not to do what the person who is screaming the loudest is doing,” summarizes Schodermayr. Tips on how to avoid escalation should also be offered. Hattmannsdorfer wants to have the project evaluated after the 36 workshops.
But not only these are included in the package of measures. The country also relies on so-called community peers, for example young people from Afghanistan, who approach their compatriots on the street and talk to them about non-violence. According to Schodermayr, this peer project worked for Turkish young people.
In addition, the street work offer at the hotspots is to be expanded and new accents are to be set in further training for youth social workers. Hattmannsdorfer wants to spend around half a million euros for the whole package.
Source: Nachrichten
