Road safety for children with developmental issues. Kryvyi Rih

The initiative "Being Aware Means Being Protected" was implemented by the charitable organization "Ozhyna", Kryvyi Rih Patrol Police and the faculty of the Kryvyi Rih Multidisciplinary Training and Rehabilitation Center "Perlyna" with the support of the Community Policing Innovation Fund (CPIF) of the Police Training Assistance Project (PTAP), implemented in Ukraine by Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

The purpose of the initiative was socialization and development of vital skills among the boarding school boarders and adolescents with deprived backgrounds, by way of cooperation and partnership with the police and civic activists

Goals of the Project:

  1. Establishing of the level of the KRMERC “Perlyna” boarders’ knowledge about road traffic regulations through a questionnaire survey.
  2. Providing instructional, psychological and vocational support of the KRMERC “Perlyna” boarders of age 14–18 years through gamification events, tours to the Kryvyi Rih Patrol Police Department, sport events and joint master classes.
  3. Doing interactive work with the boarders of the KRMERC “Perlyna” dedicated to compliance with the traffic rules, through holding practical classes.
  4. Conducting of a questionnaire survey among the KRMERC “Perlyna” boarders to check their knowledge of the road traffic regulations and establish whether the events held have proved their effectiveness.

Results:

  • 180 KRMERC “Perlyna” boarders gained skills and knowledge concerning road traffic regulations as road users.
  • Involvement of the youth from the risk groups in interaction with the police, based on the principles of partnership, prevention of risk taking behaviour in public settings, familiarisation with basic legal norms.
  • Vocational counselling work and promotion of the policeman’s profession among the youth.
  • Promotion of healthy lifestyles and development of self-defence skills among the youth. Prevention of violence among the youth and development of knowledge about the responsibility for the offence.
  • Formation of the friendly relations between the police, civic activists and the youth from the risk groups, which will influence the youth mind-sets, responsible attitude to their own lives and to the consequences of their deeds.