The role of educational institutions and school administrations is extremely important in the prevention and intervention when it comes to homophobic violence, but it is necessary to conduct additional education, both for students and parents, as well as for professional staff, because there are still many prejudices and stereotypes in this sector regarding this problem, which was the conclusion of the training on recognizing and preventing homophobic peer violence for teaching staff and psychological-pedagogical services, organized by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) within the project Through the Kaleidoscope of Diversity – Better Perspectives for LGBTIQ+ Rights, with the financial support of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights.
During the programme, 12 participants gained knowledge that can help in understanding homophobia and its effects on young people’s mental health, as well as in the early recognition of emotional and psychological signs of problems, approaches to a child who is suffering or suspected to be suffering from violence, developing trust and empathetic communication, creating a safe and inclusive school environment, and collaborating with parents, institutions, and external support services.
Staša Baštrica, Executive Director of the Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Kvir Montenegro, was one of the trainers. “The atmosphere during the sessions was very open, encouraging, and filled with constructive exchanges of opinions, as both participants showed a high level of interest and engagement, as well as a willingness to critically reflect on their own attitudes and reactions in situations of discrimination and violence. I believe that the key messages were conveyed clearly, which helped raise awareness about important aspects of homophobia, transphobia, and mechanisms of violence, and, I believe, empowered the participants to recognize and appropriately respond to discriminatory behaviors in the school environment,” she emphasized.
Snežana Popović, a teacher at the „Ivan Goran Kovačić“ Secondary Mixed School, assessed the training as excellent and noted that the trainers were sincere in answering the questions asked, and that the exchange of experiences with colleagues from education sector was very valuable to her. “The school has a key role in preventing homophobic violence through various aspects, and it is necessary to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students,” she stated.
Schools play a very important role in understanding and overcoming fears, providing support to young people, organizing workshops, giving advice on mental health, and actively involving the school psychologist in these processes. Therefore, participants emphasized the importance of such trainings for educational professionals, in order to reduce the stigma associated with psychological problems and phobias and to improve crisis response skills.
Alma Novalić, Project assistant