Virginia Barcones and Rocío Lucas present the Master Plan for Coexistence and Improvement of Security in Educational Centers and their Environments

• The delegate of the Government and the Minister of Education have highlighted that during the past year 6,696 actions were carried out in Castilla y León in 889 schools • The Plan includes training and preventive talks by professionals of the National Police, Civil Guard and the units against violence against women • In Zamora, province in which the presentation of the Plan took place, 229 actions were carried out in 30 schools during the past year • During the day an exhibition of media of State Security Bodies and Forces has been carried out

October 25, 2023. The Government Delegate in Castilla y León, Virginia Barcones, and the Education Councilor of the Board of Castilla y León, Rocío Lucas, presented this morning at the IES Universidad Trabajo de Zamora, the Master Plan for Coexistence and Improvement of Security in Educational Centers and their Environments 2023-2024 that coordinates the High Inspection of Education of the Government Delegation. It is a Plan that is focused on the students but that is also aimed at the rest of the school community. It offers advice to members of the State Security Forces and Units for Violence against Women in the field of school coexistence.

The Plan aims to prevent bullying, youth gangs, access to drugs and alcohol, vandalism, violence against women, the risks associated with the use of the Internet and social networks, and xenophobia or racism, as well as contributing to the training of students in respect for fundamental rights and freedoms and in the values of dignity and equality between men and women.

During the event held at the IES Labour University of Zamora, diplomas accrediting their participation in the Plan of the previous course were given to educational centers, to 12 members of the National Police and the Civil Guard, to the head of the Violence Unit on Women of the Government Subdelegation and the Provincial Director of Education.

The delegate and the councilor were accompanied by the General of Division and Chief of the XII Zone of the Civil Guard, Luis Antonio del Castillo; the Regional Chief of Operations of the National Police, Jesús del Amo; and the Subdelegate of the Government in Zamora, Ángel Blanco, among other authorities besides those responsible, teachers and students of the educational center.

To conclude the event, exhibitions of human and material media by members of different units of the Civil Guard and the National Police took place in the courtyard of this Zamoran institute.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The Plan for the Coexistence and Improvement of Security in Educational Centers and their Environments is structured in five large blocks that cover important topics and that are explained by experts from the Civil Guard, the National Police as well as by those responsible for the Violence against Women Units of the Government subdelegations. “Adolescence is a time of doubts, of emotional contradictions that can make adolescents vulnerable. Knowing and avoiding risks is one of the objectives of the Plan,” explained Virginia Barcones.

Police experts talk to the educational community (parents, teachers and students) about the Internet and social networks. Barcones explained that they are inculcated to “take special care with the photos and videos they share, that under no circumstances should they provide personal data to strangers” or that, in strange or dangerous situations, they should notify their parents or contact the security forces. “Taking advantage of that world in which you move so much, there will be ill-intentioned people who want to deceive you or abuse you either through WhatsApp or social networks,” he said.

They also tell them how pernicious the use of drugs or alcohol is since it has very negative consequences for health.

In the section on violence against women and discrimination, the experts inculcate that, according to the delegate, “healthy relationships are based on trust and, therefore, they must respect the freedom of their partners.” They also teach that a relationship dominated by control and jealousy can be the beginning of a process of abuse and that “if it is difficult for them to take on a break, they should seek support.”

A fourth section is that of school bullying. In this sense, civil guards and national police try to make them understand that if they are harassed or attacked or observed an aggression, they must “be courageous and tell their parents, their teachers or contact the security forces.” It also tries to put the aggressors in the place of the one who receives the damage so that they can imagine how they feel.

And in the section of violent gangs, racism and intolerance, the recommendation is to avoid them since “they distance them from their families and friends”. If they are already in a gang, they are advised to ask for help to get out and to trust someone in their family, their teachers or contact the security forces.

The government delegate explained that everyone at some point “has been teenagers.” He added that adults may not feel the same as young people, but they can “understand” them. The talks in the Plan try to guide them and protect them against certain harmful environments. “Our announcements, the reflections of your parents and your teachers are, tips to better face the future,” he said.

MORE SURVEILLANCE IN THE ENVIRONMENTS

To achieve these goals, the Master Plan offers educational community meetings with law enforcement experts to address the security issues of greatest concern and seek solutions. They talk to students about these problems that affect them as a group and permanent access to a police expert to be able to consult any problem related to security or coexistence in the school.

The Plan also incorporates an increase in police surveillance in the immediate vicinity of schools to prevent all types of crime and to strengthen police cooperation with educational authorities.

It also promotes the importance of reporting cases of sexual exploitation in childhood. To this end, police cooperation and the increase of information for the prosecution of these crimes are strengthened, and collaboration and coordination with educational authorities and other institutions for the identification of this type of event, as well as for the referral and care of victims, are strengthened.

PLAN FIGURES 2022-2023

In the province of Zamora 229 activities were carried out during the course 22-23 in which 30 centers participated. There were 45 talks on bullying; 25 on alcohol and drugs; 48 on internet risks; 11 on violence against women. In addition to 25 visits to the police centers or open days, 37 activities related to the exhibition of police effects were carried out and 17 meetings were held with AMPAS.

Already in Castilla y León, 6,696 performances were carried out in 889 educational centers, which meant 6,560 hours. Además se realizaron 11.943 horas de vigilancia llevadas a cabo sobre 660 centros. 1,013 talks were offered on bullying; 579 on alcohol and drugs; 1180 on internet risks; 407 talks on hate crimes, racism, intolerance or xenophobia; or 283 on violence against women. In addition, 377 meetings were held with AMPAS.

The subject of the most popular talks were ‘Internet risks’, with the participation of 33,777 schoolchildren; ‘Bullying’, with the attendance of 27,189 schoolchildren; ‘Drugs and alcohol’, with the participation of 16,184 students;

The exhibitions of police effects took place in 200 activities in which 13,814 students participated. The talks on ‘Racism, xenophobia, intolerance and hate crimes’ reached 7,743 schoolchildren. In addition, 474 talks on gender-based violence were given by trainers of the National Police, Civil Guard and Units against Violence against Women of the sub-delegations, in which 13,369 students participated.

In addition, on November 3, a day of training of trainers was held that served to share points of view and update the didactic material of those responsible for the teaching of the talks. This day will allow a better development of the Master Plan in successive courses.