Rely on Family
Kowala Commune is realising the campaign ‘Rely on Family! From January many actions which promote family and proper family bonds were started within the campaign as a most effective prevention: posters were hung: Family – the warmest place under the Sun’ in educational institutions, library, Local social Welfare Centre, the character of cooperation with Local Social Welfare Centre was discussed concerning planned actions within the campaign and guidebooks ‘What is generation solidarity?’ for pedagogical staff were passed, a presentation ‘Irreplaceable Grandparents’ was shown during the celebration of Grand Mother`s and Grand Father`s Day organized by the Primary School named after Janusz Korczak in Kowala, also leaflets ‘With Grand Father we are going fishing’, ‘Solidarity of Generations’ and ‘ From Generation to Generation’ were distributed.
On 18th April within the campaign ‘Rely on Family!’ a conference called ‘Respect- Protect- Don`t hurt!’ was organized, which main aim was the problems of violence in family. The conference was organized with the initiative of Interdisciplinary Team with the cooperation of the County Office in Kowala, Local Social Welfare Centre, Primary School named after Janusz Korczak in Kowala.
Before the official part of the conference there was a meeting of girls from 2nd class of the State Junior High School named after John Paul II in Parznice with Mr. Marcin Bednarczyk, and next a meeting of pupils from Junior High School with a judge Anna Maria Wesołowska.
251 people took part in the conference including: councillors, village administrators, social workers, members of interdisciplinary teams and of GKRPA, representatives of non-governmental organisations and Volunteer Fire Brigade, Police, Health Care, Education, probation officers, family assistants, representatives of institutions working with and for families and also people from surrounding villages. During the conference the participants had the opportunity to listen to lectures of : a judge Anna Maria Wesołowska, a psychologist from the Blue Line Anna Wiechcińska and a court expert, sexuologist Marcin Bednarczyk.
Anna Wiechcińska was talking about the problem of violence in a family, she not only explained the concept of violence but also its phases and characteristics, she started the discussion about using penalty of spanking. Anna Maria Wesołowska with the use of her experiences and practice put attention especially to new threats for children and teenagers such as: grooming which means making friends with a child and making emotional bonds to sexual abuse later, cyber violence and early sexual initiation. She emphasized the value of proper contact with a child, paying attention to his behaviour, starting discussions.
Marcin Bednarczyk while concluding the meeting brought up the issue of prevention of sexual violence against children and actions which can be taken by the environment.
The society was interested in the conference. The next step within the campaign will be a cycle of prevention lectures in primary schools from the area of the commune.
