With use of these modern media technologies different forms of electronic aggressions and cyber crimes are intensifying. The electronic aggression and cyber crimes; teen dating violence, cyber harassment, cyber bullying and pornography are increasing around the world. Today youth face new challenges, social problems such as prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse and juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancies and suicide cases. These issues and problems are stirring because of communication gap between parents and youths. The Project on Helpline services for youth will facilitated them to solve their own problems and provide counseling service which can help them ease their distress. If your NGO desire to help new generation by establishing a helpline network to assist them this project is differently help you to develop your proposal for youth.
Background
Bhutan is a very small Himalayan country located in South-East Asia. Currently Bhutan’s population is 740,943; male 53%, female 47% and 56% of it are Youths. Bhutan has now entered into the world of globalization, where it progresses rapidly and the people are experiencing tremendous growth in different sectors; Agriculture, Education, Health, Construction, Businesses and living standard of the people are improved.
Forty years back the social structure, value system and life style of the Bhutanese did not differ very much from that of their ancestors. Country was divided into different regions and communications were difficult. The vast majority of the population spent their lives as subsistence farmers, almost totally dependent on the yield of some acres of agricultural land and the adjoining forests.
During that time people were following a system of family and community value where they gather around a fire and tell stories; share their beliefs, values and societal norms. Until early 1980s, Bhutan was largely a traditional society untouched by rest of the world. People were well aware about the roles and responsibilities. The Family and Community had a more dominant role as gatekeepers of our value system, but these oral traditions are disappearing. The traditional role of families and community elders sharing values and societal norms through direct communications with younger generation is weakening. People have less time to spend with their children.
Now with the new modern media technologies evolving in the country, people are experiencing different forms of it; Television, Radio, Fixed line, Internet and Mobile. These media technologies have brought our country into the world of modernization and facilitated to develop in faster and different ways.
As in 1999 internet and television were introduced in Bhutan, people are now entertained by watching televisions and they even prefer having two television sets as the family members have different favorite programmes. Below 22 years of age in our country spend 200 minutes a day watching Television3. The quality time that family spends are now replaced with “Entertainment”. ‘Trowa’ has become the new popular Dzongkha term for entertainment.
Communications professor, George Gerbner (1995) notes:
“A child today is born into a home in which television is on an average of more than seven hours a day. For the first time in human history, most of the stories about people, life and values are told not by parents, schools, churches, or others in the community who have something to tell, but by a group of distant conglomerates who have something to sell”.
Today, we can almost count those people without mobile phones. As per Annual Info-Comm.and Bulletin (4th Edition-March, 2013) published by Ministry of I there are 560,890 mobile subscribers (Bhutan Telecom 75.2% and Tashi Cell 24.8%), internet subscribers 133289 (Lease line-317 households/organizations, Fixed line broadband-16766, Mobile broadband-18686 and Mobile internet 97520) and 27,005 fixed line connections in the country.
In 2011, at least 2.3 billion people, the equivalent of more than one third of the world’s total population, had access to the internet. Over 60 percent of all internet users are in developing countries, with 45 per cent of all internet users below the age of 25 years.
Problem to be addressed
Electronic aggressions and cyber crimes
- With use of these modern media technologies different forms of electronic aggressions and cyber crimes are intensifying. The electronic aggression and cyber crimes; teen dating violence, cyber harassment, cyber bullying and pornography are increasing around the world. In 19th march 2012 Services has reported a woman being blackmailed on internet by her chat friend said to be from India.
- According to project “Electronic Media and Youth Violence” 2009 most of the youth are falling as a victim to electronic technologies, in fact the girls perpetrated electronic aggression more frequently than boys since it allows adolescents to hide their identity, between 13% to 46% of young people who were victims of electronic aggression reported not knowing their harasser’s identity.
Communication gap between parents and youths
- Today Bhutanese youth face new challenges, social problems such as prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse and juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancies and suicide cases. These issues and problems are stirring because of communication gap between parents and youths.
- The suicide cases recorded with Police were 34 cases in the year 2010, 42 cases in 2011 and 76 cases in 2012 and most of them are youths. 17 rape cases of a child above twelve years of age were recorded with Police. Teenage pregnancies, the sources reveal that 11 percent of all births were among 15-19 years old. The record of Police notes an increase number of petty crimes committed by adolescents under influence of alcohol, especially in urban areas.
- At a workshop conducted by the Ministry in 2004, the police reported 356 drug arrests made in city between 1998 and 2004. The offenders were almost entirely male and 61 percent were under 20 years and as young as 8 years. Limited qualitative studies initiated by the STD/AIDS program in urban centers reveal that most of the sex workers (prostitutions) were young girls, mostly in their teens, some as young as 14 years of age.
Government, international and non-government organizations
Royal government of Bhutan, international organizations and CSOs/NGOs work together as partner to support and facilitate for development of youth and to eradicate the youth related issues and problems. Royal government of Bhutan implemented number of programs which directly or indirectly addresses the adolescents. The programs implemented by the RGOB are;
Statistical Yearbook of Bhutan 2012 by National Statistics Bureau
- School-based Parents’ Education and Awareness (SPEA)
- Bhutan Scouts Association
- School-based Career Education and Counseling (CEC)
- Youth Information Centre (YIC)
- The Department of Youth and Sports (DYS)
- National Employment Board (NEB)
- Non-formal education (NFE)
- Youth development and rehabilitation centre (YDRC or juvenile centre)
- Students employment scheme
- Merit scholarship programmes
- Counseling
- Adolescent health education
The Organizations Authorities/NGOs are also equal stakeholders who tackle the youth related problems and issues. There are many CSOs/NGOs in Bhutan that are not directly involved in youth activities but indirectly supports in protection, development and nurturing youths in the country. For instance, National Commission was launched in 2004 to build the status of women in the society as well as to protect the women and children and provide them the rights of being human being.
Fund was established to facilitate youth in developing their skills and talents and also sustained funding mechanism within Bhutan for youth programmes and raising awareness among youth about the importance of their role as future Bhutanese citizens.
RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women) was founded by in 2004, to cater their services to the relief and empowerment of disadvantaged women and adolescent girls. Likewise, Foundation was established in 2003 by and is working wholeheartedly to uplift and enhance the lives of the people including the youths in the rural communities.
Associations of Bhutan strives mainly to support women’s development in the country. Within its scope of work special attention is being given to women, adolescent girls and the young children.
An international organization such as commits to ensure heightened attention to ending the violence against children ensuring adequate focus and promotion of the well-being of women, children and youth in the South Asian Region.
Initiated key program activities include the provision of comprehensive access to information on relevant youth-related topics and emerging issues in order to facilitate increased awareness, education and communication about these subjects; the provision of physical space for youth and adolescents to interact amongst themselves and their peers; the provision of counseling for adolescents and youth in need through face-to-face counseling and through tele- counseling; and the provision of life skills education through the scouts program.
Supports the Royal Government through its programmes on child and adolescent health, mental health and substance abuse, reproductive health and safe motherhood, etc. In the recent years, has been providing key technical support for the comprehensive school health programme by introducing the concept of life-skills approach for teachers through providing guideline and trainings.
Its main programme areas are universal primary education and reduction of maternal mortality; improvement in rural water supply and sanitation; and health and nutrition by formulating appropriate knowledge and information to stimulate improvement in child protection. Has assisted the Royal Government of Bhutan in controlling the iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in women and children and adolescents.
Fund supports the Royal Government in taking adolescent related issues as part of a wider, holistic approach to reach young people in diverse situations and equip them to shape their own future. This is done in strengthening the Ministry, in particular in skills training of adolescents and youth run by the Department.
Organizations make an effort to eliminate the youth related issues and problems. Despite the useful activities and programs established and implemented but still youth related issues and problems are one of the greatest challenges for the country.
The need assessment survey was conducted to uncover the causes for increase in the youth related issues or problems in the country. The need assessment implies that youths of Bhutan are consuming media technologies (television, internet, print media, mobile phone, etc) as indicated by 97% of the respondents and 77% of them are connected with internet to their computer or mobile phones. It is apparent that the cyber crime and electronic aggression issues are prevailing in Bhutan. Moreover 70% of the respondents are aware of the cyber crime or electronic aggressions, 17% of the respondents have experienced it and 67% of the respondents has seen or heard their friends being victimized by the cyber crimes and electronic aggressions. The need assessment survey also craft it clear that the youths of Bhutan consider family gathering (having quality times) as an important aspect as 100% of the respondents agrees on it, but only 33% of them says that their family gathers every day, 23% gather regularly (1 or 2 days a week), 37% gather sometimes (1or 2 days a month) and 7% never gather, which figures it out that parents are having tough time to spend quality time with their children’s.
Family gathering are avowed as important to youths and majority of them put it into practice however 57% of the respondent responses that they have personal issues or problems but they doesn’t share or express with their parents. There were different reasons why youth are unwilling to share their personal issues or problems with parents; 27% of them say that they feel uncomfortable, 20% says it’s their personal problem and 10% says parents don’t understand. Moreover most of the youths feel comfortable to share their grievances, issues or problems with their friends as 67% of respondents responded, 23% with brother/sister, 7% with their parents and 3% of them says with their web friends.
This indicates that young people are not so close with their parents. There is a communication gap between a parent and a child. The gaps are created either by a parent or a child and ultimately youth related issues and problems are increasing in the country.
Young people with developing nature they prevail with different grievances, issues, problems and ideas which they wish to share or express with parents but most of them prefer to share with their friends because they feel more comfortable. Points out that following puberty’s onset, adolescents spend less time, but experience more conflict, with parents. At this juncture parents as well as youths of the country need a platform which will bridge the distance between them.
Will be the platform where young people can express and share their grievances without any formalities. It will listen to youths; give support and guidance and accordingly solve their issues and problems. Now, will take a place of a friend and will remove the gap by constructing a bridge between them. It will listen to any of their grievances, issues, problems and ideas and solve accordingly by maintaining confidentiality. Youth helpline will be a toll free number where youth can share at any time and from anywhere within Bhutan without costing any amount.
In Bhutan there are about 24 toll free numbers registered with ThimphuTech Park; emergencies and corporations. Department of Youth and Sports facilitates the helpline services for youth, it is mainly for those youths who are outside the residence of Thimphu and who need to avail any type of counseling and informative services.
Police does have Hotline services (Toll Free line) where people can complain and inquire the issues and problems but they have different formalities (rules and regulations), which makes most people uncomfortable to use their services. Moreover they don’t have the facilities of listening to the ideas and personal problems of the people.
Respect, Educate, Nurture, and Empower Women (RENEW) also have the facilities of helpline services for the people. They entertain domestic violence cases especially with the issues of gender violence. Likewise National Commission for have helpline services where they receive complains against the women and children violence especially the women violence. The services provided by RENEW as well as have some formalities and they deal only the cases regarding the domestic violence especially gender violence and according to them the cases are reported only when there is serious injuries involved.
There are many helpline and toll free numbers in the country. The helpline or hotline services provided by different organizations, authorities or agencies entertain only the specific issues or problems which are related to their work but they ignore other issues or problems and also they lack facilities of listening to innovative and creative ideas of youths.
Therefore, the project will provide a facility of listening to any nature of concerns or troubles existing with the youths and also listen to their innovative and creative ideas. The certified counselors will be recruited to provide counseling services and also additional superior counseling will be provided by the experienced professional counselors.
Objectives
The objectives are to support young people through telephone contact:
- To listen to youths
- To offer help in an easy and convenient way
- To facilitated them to solve their own problems
- To provide counseling service which can help them ease their distress
Description of target area and beneficiaries
56% of our country’s populations are youths and the project will target all the youths in the country as they being the most important resource for the country. The youth age groups are 13-24 years of age as per National Youth Policy of Bhutan.
Firstly, the project will directly benefit the youths of the nation. Youth’s will be free from the violence. Young people will be nurtured with good ethical values and norms. Secondly, the parents, schools and government will be benefited indirectly. And lastly, CSO’s, NGO’s, RBP and Society will also be benefited as they being the stakeholder in improvement of the youths. The data’s assembled while intermingling with the youths can help in framing other related projects in the future.
Gender Mainstreaming:
According to Centers for project “Electronic Media and Youth Violence” 2009, most of the cases the victims of any electronic aggressions around the world are mostly the females. The females are believed to be soft hearted and shy in nature so, they never express their issues or problems and even according to Labour force survey 2012 female participations are significantly low at all levels. To bring about the changes in gender imbalances, the project will adopt the following strategies;
- Encourage female participations through advertisement on TV, Radio’s and news papers as more of the victims being
- Preferences will be given for recruiting female
- Gender mainstreaming will be integrated wherever
Descriptions of project deliverable
The project will provide the following out comes:
- Empowerment of youth in preparing themselves for the future
- Making the country as a violence free specially from electronic aggressions or cyber crimes
- Making the youth as productive and caliber citizens of the country
Cost Benefit Analysis
Bhutan has 736,599 current population and 56% of it are youths. Youths of Bhutan are the future leaders of the country and they form a very important ingredient for the development and success of the country. They need to be nurtured and developed at an initial stage to become high caliber citizen of the country. There are many youth related issues and problems;
Youth Unemployment is one of the major youth related issue or problem occurring in the country. In the year 2011, 4800 youths were unemployed and in 2012, 3,476 youths were unemployed according to labour survey report 2012, by Ministry. Youth related crimes/offences are another issues prevailing in the country. The records with Police show that a total of 1,341 crimes were registered in the year 2012 and 1,752 in the year 2011 in Dzongkhag. The most common crimes reported are malicious mischief, burglary, larceny, robbery, auto stripping, arson and homicide. The narcotics drugs division saw 161 cases, and arrested 263 people in 2012 and saw 180 cases and 328 arrests in 2011 in the capital.
Suicide cases are also one of the major issues prevailing with the youths of the nation. 42 suicide cases were recorded in the year 2011 and 76 cases in 2012 with Police. In 2011, 4 overdose cases were recorded and 8 overdose case in 2012 in the country under Police.
Every year, government, international organizations, CSO’s/NGO’s and Private Organizations are directly or indirectly involved in development and nurturing of youths and they spend huge amount of money on it but still youth related issues and problems are increasing year after year in the country.
The project, its primary objective is to construct youths into responsible and productive citizens. Therefore, the project will reduce the amount of cost spend by the government, international and domestic organizations for development and nurturing of youths.
