"Entry" in the risk zone: youth fun leads to an "article"
Not every teenager dreams of spending the whole vacation at home with his family — much more often at this age there is a desire to have fun with friends, to feel like an adult with all the ensuing consequences. Moreover, these consequences can be disastrous in some cases. For example, if a teenager gets into a so-called "registration", where guests can try illegal substances or become a victim of violence, including sexual violence, and also be subjected to "digital" blackmail. Elena Zamyshevskaya, a specialist in deviant adolescents, and a police officer told Izvestia about the current threats to teenagers who find themselves in someone else's apartment.
The time of empty flats
Teenagers face the problem of the party venue very conditionally, if they have cash. But more often than not, young people get an impromptu nightclub for free.
— If you rent a house or an apartment for rent, usually an adult from the crowd takes it upon himself, and then people come there, — said a girl who frequents trash parties on condition of anonymity. — But more often these are apartments where the parents have left, or cottages where there is no one in winter.
According to her, specially rented housing is quite rare, as the owners usually monitor what is happening at their facility or receive complaints from neighbors.
— There is always a person who has a free living space. During the New Year holidays, there are no problems with this at all — parents often go on vacation or to relatives, and high school students are left at home. Drunkenness happens when the apartment is vacated and the parents leave. It's just that the company is going, and you can get there if you know someone from the crowd," the girl shares her observations.
In some regions, they still hang out in the entrances, the interlocutor clarifies.
How teenagers get drugs
In most cases, teenagers get drugs from the hands of their elders.
— Most of the time, the "small" ones have older guys who are looking for and picking up "weight" — these are the so-called bookmarks. But it happens that the younger ones themselves order banned substances via the Internet in anonymous networks," the Izvestia interlocutor admits.
She clarifies that it is difficult to get drugs at the "entrance" itself, since dealers do not "shine" there, and says that among drug addicts there is an unspoken rule not to share substances with very young party-goers, because it is too dangerous for their lives.
Risky business
Teenage "admissions" are not limited only to fun, there are serious threats to health and safety: peer pressure, the use of psychoactive substances, the risk of sexual violence and involvement in criminal activities, as well as "digital" blackmail. Often, all these dangers are associated with the presence of unfamiliar or completely unfamiliar people at parties.
— It is important to keep in mind the psychological pressure and risks associated with substance use, as well as the threats from strangers and digital deviations. Parents, teachers, and teenagers themselves need to exercise awareness and caution in order to avoid undesirable consequences," a police source tells Izvestia.
The most noticeable and frequent risks are alcohol and drug use.
— Psychological pressure from peers often forces teenagers to give in to them, even if they are not ready or do not want to, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — The consequences can be very dangerous — overdoses, poisoning, loss of self-control. Those teenagers who have health problems that they may not know about or take into account when using are especially at risk.
Digital compromising material
A less obvious, but very dangerous threat is the recording of inappropriate behavior of a teenager on digital media by peers.
"Under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a teenager can become a victim of people with malicious intentions," says psychologist Elena Zamyshevskaya, a specialist in deviant adolescents. — This can be expressed in covert filming of intimate moments without the consent of a teenager, the creation of compromising photos and videos, followed by blackmail or the distribution of these materials.
A negative experience at the entrance can have a number of consequences for the psyche of a teenager.
— Some experienced situations can seriously harm a child's mental health, cause depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, as well as other consequences that are difficult to predict in advance, — says Zamyshevskaya.
Visiting the devil
Nevertheless, the main threat of uncontrolled entertainment at home for children is sexual violence, according to a police operative specializing in the search for missing persons.
— The main danger of such gatherings is in a completely uncontrolled environment. Dozens of people who don't know each other often gather in the same square. This provokes conflicts, aggression, and the commission of crimes, including violent ones. The situation is aggravated by the massive consumption of alcohol.
Recall, a court in Moscow sentenced a 17-year-old student who abused a 14-year-old girl to 4.5 years in a penal colony. The crime was committed after drinking alcoholic beverages.
The policeman emphasizes that a confidential conversation with children about potential threats and parental control during the holidays is not an invasion of personal space, but a necessary security measure.
"The New Year should remain a time of miracles, and not cause a family tragedy," the operative concluded.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
