An EU program combats violence factors in children in Panama

A program of the European Union (EU) managed to reduce the incidence of factors that trigger violence in children between 6 and 14 years living in two of the most conflictive areas of the capital of Panama, a country that recorded a rise in violent crime as homicides and attributed to gangs and drug trafficking.

This is the "Grow in Community" program, executed for six months in the areas of Belisario Porras and Pedregal, which through talks and a seminar with children and their families sought to modify risk conditions associated with violent behavior.

"The results are remarkable ... I would never have believed that after six months it would be possible to see these types of figures, as they are due to a change in mentality and attitude," the EU ambassador told Efe on Tuesday. Panama, Chris Hoornaert, during the presentation of the results of the project.

Some 2,489 children and 279 adolescents were applied psychological methodologies, while more than 800 parents and caregivers received a seminar on positive parental power.

Thus, in children aged 6 to 11 years, an overall decrease of 8% was observed in the factors that can trigger violent behavior, such as hyperactivity, poor academic performance or disruptive behaviors such as bullying or harassment.

In the case of adolescents (12 to 14 years old), the risk factor of aggression, such as harassing others verbally or physically, was reduced by 8.28%, while the problem behavior decreased by 11.82%.

"Although it is a short period, we were able to obtain a significant reduction in risk behavior reduction (...) in all the risk factors we attended, we could see a decrease, greater or lesser in some cases," said the director program technician, Rina Rodríguez, who was in charge of exposing the results.

GANGS, THREAT FOR CHILDREN

The EU indicated that Pedregal and Belisario Porras were chosen because they are among the most vulnerable sectors of a country that concentrates almost 50% of its population in the metropolitan area.

Pedregal and Belisario Porras are in the district of Panama and San Miguelito, respectively. They are poor and populated neighborhoods, where youth gangs operate, to which it is linked to the majority of homicides in the country.

Panama recorded 480 homicides in 2019, 9.3% more than the previous year, according to the latest figures from the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the security authorities say that 70% of those crimes are linked to drug trafficking and gangs .

"This program is important because it is a method of prevention. The important thing is to see the risks and conditions that are responsible for the violence, the lack of success in the school or the problems that are generated in your community," said the ambassador of the EU.

The "Grow in Community" program is funded by the European Union, coordinated by the Ministry of Public Security and promoted by the Cooperation Project on Security Issues with Panama (SECOPA).

SECOPA is a five-year EU project that is about to end. Its objective is to improve coexistence and citizen security and has a non-reimbursable financing of about 30 million dollars.