Teenage crime must not only be suppressed but prevented. East Kazakhstan Region is showing how sport, creativity and active community engagement can serve as tools for preventing juvenile delinquency, reports infohub.kz.
According to the East Kazakhstan Region akimat, journalist Mikhail Kozachkov drew attention to the problem of teenage crime in his Telegram channel. In his post, he cited the experience of East Kazakhstan Region, where the preventive project "Unity Is Strength" is being implemented.
The initiative, launched by the regional prosecutor's office, is aimed at preventing offenses among young people, fostering legal culture and organizing meaningful leisure for teenagers. Having started at the district level, the project was later expanded across the entire region.
The organizers placed particular emphasis on sport as a way of bringing young people together. The region hosted a hockey tournament featuring 8 teams that drew about 2,000 spectators, futsal competitions that brought together more than 2,200 people, and a table tennis tournament in which over 800 teenagers took part.
National sports were not overlooked either. Young people were actively involved in competitions such as kokpar, asyk atu, baige and others.
For children interested in creativity and digital formats, contests on the theme "Law and Me" were organized. Participants created videos, launched themed challenges and spread positive initiatives on social media.
In total, more than 9,000 teenagers from East Kazakhstan took part in various project events over the summer.
The results of this work are already reflected in the crime situation. According to data cited by Mikhail Kozachkov, during the project's implementation the level of teenage crime in the region fell by 38%, while crime against children dropped by 12%.
Behind these figures lies not only the organization of sports and creative events but also systematic work to involve the younger generation in public life, instill the right values and foster respect for the law.
The main principle of the "Unity Is Strength" project is to create opportunities for teenagers, help them discover their abilities, find like-minded people and channel their energy into constructive pursuits.
The experience of East Kazakhstan Region shows that crime prevention begins long before an offense is committed. What matters most here is the attention of adults and the joint efforts of government agencies, educational institutions, the public and sports organizations.
After all, it is far more effective to support a teenager in time and help them find their calling and the right guidelines than to deal with the consequences of offenses later.