Pursuant to our fundamental mission of promoting social justice and peace, the Justice and Peace Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops considers it necessary to deliberate upon the phenomenon of increased violence in the society, principally among the young.
Practically not a day goes by without the media reporting to us about violence among the young, violence toward the young and suicides committed by children. Such reports attract particular attention only when the consequences of violence among children are very serious, and even fatal. All of this influences the formation of a social perception that violence is an inevitable integral part of social reality, which leads to pessimism, prevents timely suitable action in the case of the phenomenon of violence among peers and dangerously raises the threshold of tolerance toward violence.

The causes for violence among children and the young are complex and many. The experience of the war and postwar period is one of them, together with the weakened educational role of the family, the collapse of the positive authority of parents and teachers, as well as the detrimental influence of increased violence in society as a general phenomenon. Undoubtedly the war, postwar and transition tensions affected the increase of violence in the society, especially among the young. Many studies have suggested such a development of events. These studies contain special programs have been proposed to help risk groups known to have been especially exposed to war violence and destruction, which is assumed to cause delinquent and violent behavior. Unfortunately, we were not able to eliminate these causes and, therefore, we must deal with their consequences. In valuable medical, sociological, psychological and theological studies, good suggestions have been given on how to heal the consequences of traumas endured by people who have been directly afflicted by the destruction and violence of war. These programs, although implemented in various ways, have nonetheless yielded some results and we believe contributed to reducing potential violence precisely among this population. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to finance them and support their application, especially the application of preventive programs.

Due to poverty, social stratification, alienation of parents from the parental role, a sense of being overwhelmed by everyday existential worries and orientation to work, many families have lost a great part of their positive educational function. Failure to assure a Sunday that is free from work is only one of the elements in the general approach and non/support of the family. Consequently, children and young people are left to their own devices, the detrimental influence of the deformed media images of values and the influence of peer groups, which is not always good.

Each of us has the task of raising awareness of the incalculable and irreplaceable importance of the educational role of the family, especially the parents. Each individual in a nuclear and extended family has the important role of providing assistance and support in order for it to remain or become functional. In this sense, it is necessary to promote a climate of mutual respect for human dignity that is inherent in every person.
Much is expected from the school. Children spend a great part of their time in school, where they learn how to establish relationships with other people. They learn which values and norms are dominant and desirable in society. The school must be an institution in which these values and norms can live and be practiced, which is not feasible without teachers.
Not so long ago, a teacher was a person who was genuinely respected. What the teacher said was taken seriously and the parents supported the teacher in their joint attempt to help children mature. The role of the teacher has been significantly devalued today. This does not merely refer to the salaries of educators, although they should be taken into account because they are a part of the dignity of the educational profession.

We wish to emphasize one more dimension that is very important for the harmonious growth of the young and an actual reduction in violence. This concerns the need for more intensive work for greater cooperation between the teacher and parents in the education of children. First of all, this requires the creation of a climate of responsibility. Until now, only rights were insisted upon. We propose that in addition to rights, it is necessary to insist upon responsibilities. Besides the rights of the students, parents and teachers, it is worthwhile thinking about the duties and responsibilities of students, parents and teachers and about the mechanisms for the reward of those who respect their obligations and for the punishment of those who violate them. While teachers and parents not so long ago worked together in educating children, today it is as if there is no culture of dialogue between them. Parents, students and teachers must establish partnership and mutual trust.
For the elimination of violence, the help of all the social institutions that are authorized for the war on violence in the family, hence violence among young people (because violence, as studies have shown, is frequently behavior that is learned in the family) is needed. In this sense, some legal documents have already been drawn up that are intended for eliminating violence, and there are also family legislation, misdemeanor and criminal protection in cases of violence among peers.
Some shifts have been noted but the legal system is not sufficiently efficient, especially because until violence among the young does not exceed all limits, it is approached with a high degree of tolerance. We urge the authorized bodies to monitor and assess the application of legal standards, and to re-examine them constantly. They must be understandable, applicable and acceptable. In addition to establishing standards, it is necessary to apply the law, as well as to provide assistance to the young and their families from qualified experts.
The role of the media in the formation of the social attitude toward violence is considerable. It can be positive or negative. We are of the opinion that the media in Croatia, through selective reporting about violence, spreading moral panic about individual isolated cases of family violence, violence in schools and on the streets, have actually played a more negative than positive role in eliminating violence. Sensationalizing violence as occurs in our media, creating antiheros out of perpetrators, secondary victimization of victims, revealing the identifies of victims but also of perpetrators who are minors have all contributed to the existing condition.
The media can have a positive role in promoting violence but also in the active resistance to violence at the levels where it occurs. The media can provide a contribution in the rational deconstruction of violence, the objectification of violence, the promotion of good initiatives and campaigns, especially for the young. It should be said that many media are already doing so. We would only like encourage such a shift by the media away from negative forms of reporting. Despite the violence in the society in recent times, our media have shown that they can be sensitive to the power of good and that they know how to present it in an intriguing and quite interesting manner. It is certainly more demanding to make a good “story” from the daily life of people in the society. We are of the opinion that it is not necessary to wait for tragic events and that the media can present the positive aspects of life.
Thus, we urge the media to promote a positive picture of the family and to protect children and the young pursuant to the positive legislation of the Republic of Croatia and pursuant to journalistic ethics. We urge citizens to boycott those media which construct reality by overemphasizing deviant phenomena.
There is also a great possibility to prevent and resist violence through church communities. The Church defines itself as a community. It is most visible and clearly evident as a community in the liturgy. Therefore, liturgical communities are the nuclei of cooperation, socializing, meeting parents and children, especially in large cities in which people are not as well acquainted with each other as in smaller places. Such socializing is basic for the establishment of social ties that reduce the possibility of deviant behavior and, thereby, violence in the society. This requires pastoral plans for finding opportunities for gathering parishioners after liturgical celebrations, during which the community could establish communication.
Church communities can organize meetings of parents and children with similar problems, offer contents for the free time of the young, help families that are exposed to the risks of the asocial behavior of family members, intercede in the event of violence in the family etc. There are many ways that we can help and thus contribute to improvement.

In Zagreb, 9 December 2008
Msgr. Vlado Košić
President, Justice and Peace Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops