EU has funded the Project “Prevention and Protection Children from Violence in Sport” that resulted in a Protocol aimed at establishing mechanism for protections of children from all forms of violence in sport as well as strengthening of educational role of sport in developing positive social values in children and youth. The Protocol was created by Serbia’s Child Rights Centre and Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The importance of the Protocol for improving the protection of children and youth from violence was promoted at the National Conference, where a framework of its implementation and further improvement was discussed.
“This is a very important topic for us and we want to help both the Serbian civil society as well as the Serbian authorities to address these issues and make a positive change,” Martin Kern, EU Delegation’s Head of Operations, told the conference.
Serbian government adopted in 2005 the General Protocol for Protection of Children from Abuse and Neglect, but the field of sport was not included in this process and it has proved to be a serious obstacle to full realization of child rights to protection from violence.
“The consequences are reflected in the high tolerance of children, especially boys, to violence in the sporting environment, the absence of mechanisms for prevention and protection, which is obvious through the increasing frequency of reported individual cases of violence and more widespread violence during sports events,” Kern said.
The newly created Protocol aimed specifically at protection of children from violence in sport was discussed by representatives of sports associations and coaches who work directly with children, sports experts, representatives of national and international organisations and institutions that deal with violence against children and organisations active in the field of sports for children, as well as by children and young athletes, parents of young athletes and the media.
More info:
www.cpd.org.rs
www.mos.gov.rs/
