Drug Abuse and Physical Violence Among High School Students: Some Important Characteristic of the Developmental Model of Prevention

U mnoštvu rizičnih ponašanja kojima je izložena srednjoškolska mladež, zlouporaba droge i fizičko nasilje, bez sumnje, zauzimaju značajno mjesto. Znanstvena istraživanja rizičnih i protektivnih čimbenika i preventivni programi zasnovani na tim istraživanjima, značajna su pretpostavka učinkovitog sustava društvenog reagiranja na ova ponašanja. Istraživanje na uzorku od 488 učenika, obavljeno je u četiri srednje škole u Beogradu. Uzorak učenika ispitan je posebno izrađenog Upitnikom o ponašanju učenika sa 21 varijablom iz obiteljskog, školskog i vršnjačkog okruženja učenika. Rezultati pokazuju da je 23% učenika srednjih škola barem jednom probalo neku vrstu droge; a probanje droge počinje već s 11 godina, ali su "udarne" godine 15, 16 i 17. Od sociopsiholoških karakteristika zlouporabi, odnosno konzumiranju droge, najviše doprinose: bježanje od kuće, mijenjanje škole zbog lošeg vladanja, kažnjavanje ukorom u školi, narkomanija i alkoholizam u grupi vršnjaka. Kada je u pitanju fizičko nasilje učenika, rezultati pokazuju da u njemu sudjeluje 65,5% učenika i 24% učenica. Sudjelovanje u tučnjavama izvan škole češće je nego u školi te je ono povezano sa spolom, postojanjem članova obitelji koji se bave kriminalom, bježanjem učenika od kuće, fizičkim kažnjavanjem u obitelji, lošim uspjehom u školi, kažnjavanjem ukorom od strane školskih vlasti i mijenjanjem škole zbog lošeg vladanja te sa sociopatološkim ponašanjima i kriminalom u grupi vršnjaka.In a variety of risky behavior that high-school youth is exposed to, drug abuse and physical violence, no doubt, takes very important place. Scientific studies of risk and protective factors, and prevention programs based on these studies are required to establish an efficient system of social responses to these behaviors. Research on a sample of 488 students was conducted in four high schools in Belgrade. The sample of students was tested by specially designed questionnaire on students\u27 behavior with questions measuring 21 variables in the area of the family, school and peer environments of students. Data analysis showed that 23% of secondary school students at least once tried some type of drugs, that first time consumption begins at the age 11, while most of it try it at the age of 15, 16, and 17 years. Also analysis shows that of psycho-social characteristics to drug abuse contribute the most running away from home, changing of schools because of behavioral infractions, punishing reprimand in school and drug and alcoholism in their peer group. When it comes to physical abuse of students, data analysis showed that in fights participates 65.5% of male students and 24.0% of female, that participation in fights outside the school is more frequent than in school. Also, data analysis showed that violence in school and outside of school are closely associated with their gender, the presence of family members involved in crime, running of students away from home, physical punishment in the family, poor school performance, punishment reprimand by school authorities and socio pathological behavior and crime in the peer group

Edem mozga kod zavisnika od droge

Background/Aim. The effect of drugs leaves permanent consequences on the brain, organic in type, followed by numerous manifestations, and it significantly affects the development of mental dysfunctions. The clinicians are often given a task to estimate a patient's personality during treatment or during experts estimate of a drug addict. The aim of this research was to determine the differences, if any, in characteristics of addicts experience and personality traits in drug addicts with or without cerebral edema. Methods. The research was conducted on a sample of 252 male drug addicts, the average age of 23.3 (SD = 4.3) years. Cerebral edema was confirmed on magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain performed during the treatment of the addicts. The participants were tested by the psychologists using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-201) test, and the data were processed using canonical discriminate analysis within the SPSS program. The dependent variable in the study was cerebral edema. A block of independent variables, designed for the requirements of this study, consisted of two subgroups. The first one consisted of 12 variables describing the relevant characteristics of drug abuse. The second subgroup consisted of 8 psychopathological tendencies in the personality defined by the mentioned test. Results. Cerebral edema was confirmed in 52 (20.63%) of the drug addicts. The differences between the groups of drug addicts with and without cerebral edema were determined in the following: the time span of taking drugs (0.301), use of alcohol parallel with drugs (0.466), and treatment for addiction (0.603). In the drug addicts with a cerebral edema, MMPI-201 confirmed the increase in the scales for hypochondria, psychopathic deviations and psychastenia, and the decrease in the scales for schizophrenia and depression. Conclusion. Our study confirmed a possible connection between cerebral edema and personality traits in a number of the examined drug addicts. Considering the fact that practice often requires personality estimation, regardless whether it is about treatment or expert's estimate, it is necessary to further research in this direction.Uvod/Cilj. Dejstvo droge ostavlja trajne posledice organskog tipa, na mozak, praćene brojnim neurološkim manifestacijama, i bitno utiče na razvoj psihičkih poremećaja. Kliničarima se često postavlja zadatak da procene ličnost tokom lečenja ili veštačenja zavisnika od droge. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrđivanje karakteristika narkomanskog staža i osobina ličnosti kod zavisnika od droge sa i bez edema mozga. Metode. Istraživanje je sprovedeno u grupi od 252 zavisnika od droge muškog pola, prosečne starosti 23,3 (SD = 4,3) godine. Za vreme lečenja zavisnika od droge rađena je magnetna rezonanca mozga, a za procenu psihopatoloških tendencija ličnosti korišćen je Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-201) test. Za obradu podataka korišćena je kanonička diskriminativna analiza u sklopu SPSS programa. Zavisna varijabla u istraživanju bio je edem mozga. Blok nezavisnih varijabli, sačinjen za potrebe ovog istraživanja, sastojao se od dve podgrupe. Prvu je činilo 12 varijabli kojima se opisuju relevantna obeležja zavisnosti od droga. Drugu je činilo 8 psihopatoloških tendencija ličnosti definisanih pomenutim testom. Rezultati. Edem mozga utvrđen je kod 52 (20,63%) zavisnika od droge. Razlike između grupa zavisnika od droge sa i bez edema mozga utvrđene su u dužini narkomanskog staža (0,301), korišćenju alkohola paralelno sa drogama (0,466) i lečenju zavisnosti (0,603). Kod zavisnika od droge sa cerebralnim edemom na MMPI-201 testu utvrđene su povišene skale hipohondrije, psihopatske devijacije i psihastenije, a sniženje skala šizofrenije i depresije. Zaključak. Kod jednog broja ispitivanih zavisnika od droge potvrđena je sumnja u mogućnost povezanosti edema mozga i osobina ličnosti. S obzirom na to da praksa često iziskuje potrebu za procenom ličnosti, bilo da se radi o lečenju ili veštačenju, neophodno je nastaviti istraživanja u ovom pravcu

Nasilje kao kriminološki fenomen (teorijski okvir)

The growing trend of violent and aggressive behavior in a world that knows no boundaries of space or other characteristics (gender, race, religious affiliation) in the context of political developments in the institutional environment and family and emotional relationships, often raising the question of its causes and factors that contribute to its expression. This paper deals with the theoretical analysis of just causes and factors of violence, with a special research effort focuses on interpersonal violence, the most common form of manifestation of aggressive behavior. Under these considerations, the theoretical constructs were selected to contribute to the understanding of domestic violence as dangerous violations of human rights and the manifestation of dominance and power in the family setting.Rastući trend nasilničkog i agresivnog ponašanja u svetu ne poznaje prostorne granice ili druge karakteristike (pol, rasu, versku pripadnost). Nasilje koje se javlja u kontekstu političkih zbivanja, u institucionalnom okruženju ili u porodici i partnerskim odnosima, ima svoje kompleksne uzroke i faktore koji doprinose njegovom ispoljavanju. Ovaj rad se bavi teorijskom analizom uzroka i faktora nasilja. Poseban istraživački napor usmeren je na oblike i faktore inter- personalnog nasilja, kao najčešćeg oblika ispoljavanja agresivnog ponašanja. U okviru tih razmatranja, teorijski konstrukti treba da doprinesu razumevanju i nasilja u porodici kao opasne povrede ljudskih prava i načina ispoljavanja dominacije i moći u porodičnom okruženju

Nasilje kao kriminološki fenomen (teorijski okvir)

The growing trend of violent and aggressive behavior in a world that knows no boundaries of space or other characteristics (gender, race, religious affiliation) in the context of political developments in the institutional environment and family and emotional relationships, often raising the question of its causes and factors that contribute to its expression. This paper deals with the theoretical analysis of just causes and factors of violence, with a special research effort focuses on interpersonal violence, the most common form of manifestation of aggressive behavior. Under these considerations, the theoretical constructs were selected to contribute to the understanding of domestic violence as dangerous violations of human rights and the manifestation of dominance and power in the family setting.Rastući trend nasilničkog i agresivnog ponašanja u svetu ne poznaje prostorne granice ili druge karakteristike (pol, rasu, versku pripadnost). Nasilje koje se javlja u kontekstu političkih zbivanja, u institucionalnom okruženju ili u porodici i partnerskim odnosima, ima svoje kompleksne uzroke i faktore koji doprinose njegovom ispoljavanju. Ovaj rad se bavi teorijskom analizom uzroka i faktora nasilja. Poseban istraživački napor usmeren je na oblike i faktore inter- personalnog nasilja, kao najčešćeg oblika ispoljavanja agresivnog ponašanja. U okviru tih razmatranja, teorijski konstrukti treba da doprinesu razumevanju i nasilja u porodici kao opasne povrede ljudskih prava i načina ispoljavanja dominacije i moći u porodičnom okruženju

Phenomenological characteristics of juvenile crime in the Republic of Serbia : a prerequisite for successful prevention

Kriminal maloletnika nesumnjivo i opravdano privlači veliku paţnju naučne i stručne javnosti, kako zbog nekih svojih osnovnih karakteristika, tako i zbog posledica koje moţe imati. Pored činjenice da je u pitanju populacija koju karakteriše nedovoljna psiho-fizička i socijalna zrelost, poseban značaj proučavanja maloletničke delinkvencije, proizlazi iz činjenice da je reč o najmlaĎim i najranjivijim članovima društva i da od načina na koji društvo reaguje na njihovo ponašanje u velikoj meri zavisi njihov dalji razvoj, kao i razvoj i budućnost celokupnog društva. Kako prevencija kriminala uopšte, a posebno prevencija kriminala maloletnika čini najvaţniji segmet u suprotstavljanju kriminalu u jednom društvu, stvaranje realne slike o njegovim razmerama i osnovnim karakteristikama, isto kao i etiološkim faktorima čini polaznu osnovu za planiranje i organizovanje preventivnih intervencija i postupaka. Vaţna pretpostavka za adekvatno osmišljene preventivne aktivnosti svakako je utvrĎivanje fenomenoloških karakteristika ovog ponašanja, a kako neki autori sasvim opravdano smatraju, uspeh preduzetih preventivnih aktivnosti u velikoj meri zavisi od kvaliteta i analize prikupljenih podataka o tom kriminalu. Nezaobilazan izvor ovih podataka su statističke evidencije koje vode različiti subjekti: od pravosudnih organa - policije, tuţilaštva, sudova, preko evidencija sluţbi socijalne zaštite, vaspitno-obrazovnih ustanova, pa sve do naučno-istraţivačkih i visokoškolskih ustanova koje se bave proučavanjem ovog fenomena. U ovom radu su analizirani podaci o kriminalu maloletnika na teritoriji Republike Srbije dobijeni na osnovu evidencija Republičkog zavoda za statistiku. Analiza se odnosi na period od 10 god. i obuhvata podatke od 2010 do 2019. god. Cilj rada bio je da se analizom distribucije oblika ponašanja koja čine definiciju kriminala maloletnika dobije pouzdana slika o njegovim najvaţnijim fenomenološkim karakteristikama, njegovoj učestalosti, strukturi po polu, vrsti krivičnog dela i dr. kao i njihovim promenama u toku posmatranog perioda.Juvenile delinquency undoubtedly and justifiably attracts a lot of attention from the scientific and professional public, both because of some of its basic characteristics and because of the consequences it can have. In addition to the fact that this is a population characterized by insufficient psycho-physical and social maturity, the special importance of studying juvenile delinquency stems from the fact that they are the youngest and most vulnerable members of society and that the way society responds to their behavior largely depends. their further development, as well as the development and future of the whole society. As crime prevention in general, and juvenile crime prevention in particular, is the most important segment in combating crime in a society, creating a realistic picture of its size and basic characteristics, as well as etiological factors is the starting point for planning and organizing preventive interventions and procedures. An important precondition for adequately designed preventive activities is certainly the determination of the phenomenological characteristics of this behavior, and as some authors quite rightly believe, the success of the undertaken preventive activities largely depends on the quality and analysis of collected data on this crime. An unavoidable source of these data are statistical records kept by various entities: from judicial bodies - police, prosecutors, courts, through records of social protection services, educational institutions, all the way to scientific research and higher education institutions that study this phenomenon. This paper analyzes the data on juvenile delinquency in the territory of the Republic of Serbia obtained on the basis of the records of the Republic Bureau of Statistics. The analysis refers to a period of 10 years. and includes data from 2010 to 2019. The aim of the paper was to analyze the distribution of forms of behavior that make up the definition of juvenile crime to get a reliable picture of its most important phenomenological characteristics, its frequency, structure by gender, type of crime, etc. as well as their changes during the observed period

Local Security Councils and Community Policing in Serbia : between vision and reality

The multi-dimensional approach to understanding human and the implementation of the community policing strategy as two complementary parts of the concept of quality of life make it possible to qualitatively consider security in local communities. According to the concept of human security, institutions are obliged to provide citizens with permanent protection, instead of occasional, to act preventively, rather than reactively, whereby all relevant local community actors actively participate in deciding on issues related to their security. One way to actively involve key members of a community in improving (human) security at the local level is the formation of local security councils. In Serbia, the first local security councils were established in 2002 as a result of the implementation of the pilot project “Police in the local community and a safe community in Serbia”. Fifteen years later, there are 119 local security councils in Serbia. In addition to representatives of local self-government and representatives of other institutions (police, judiciary, social welfare centres, school institutions, health services, etc.), the representatives of civil society also participate in their work. Nevertheless, the functioning of local security councils in Serbia is still little known. There is also insufficient knowledge in which manner these bodies contribute to the improvement of human security at the local level. Theoretical considerations in this paper are focused on the analysis of the conducted quantitative and qualitative research with the aim of reviewing the legislative, security and sociological environment in which local security councils are established and operating. Key findings point to the necessity and significance of the decentralization of local security, the need for further development of the police in the local community, and the determination of the scope, dynamics and methodology of the work of the local advisory bodies for security

Quality of life and community policing: between theory and the realistic needs of the citizens

The quality of life is an immediate sustainability manifestation, which refers to the capability of the place or the local community to meet the current needs of the citizens without jeopardizing the possibility for the future generation to meet their needs to the full extent. The quality of life is the identification of the key domains of human well-being in the community, i.e. the identification of the existing needs of its citizens. The needs of the citizens of one local community synthetize everything that the citizens recognize as a difference between the current and desirable situation. The need can be formulated also as a wish to improve the current situation or to correct the defect. Systems (services, institutions, agencies) for providing services to the citizens in the functional communities base their activities on defined priorities of the local community, they reduce the potential risks for the citizens, put their focus on outcomes (changes among citizens) rather than the processes themselves, maintain the existing and establish new social networks of help and support to individuals, while respecting their individual rights, include citizens (service users) in decision-making agencies, and others. Whenever various forms of community action and action are realized, it must take into account the specificities of the target groups and the characteristics of the community whose needs or deficits must be met. It is on these principles that a modern police organization bases its activities within community policing, dealing primarily with the security needs of citizens. The analytical approach in this paper deals with the implementation of a problem-solving strategy with the goal to reduce the fear of crime and the rate of crime, that is, with the measures and activities by which the police influences the quality of life of citizens in the local community