Today, April 14, an instructional and methodological seminar for study group curators, "Organizing Educational and Preventive Work with Student Youth", was held at BNTU.
The event was attended by Irina Gud, Head of the Center for Ideological Work and Youth Affairs; Kirill Sergienko, Detective Officer of the Drug Control and Anti-Human Trafficking Department of the Sovietsky District Police Department of Minsk; Nikita Bogatov, District Inspector of the Juvenile Affairs Inspectorate of the Sovietsky District Police Department of Minsk; and Viktoria Strakovich and Natalia Kovalevskaya, educational psychologists from the BNTU Social, Pedagogical, and Psychological Service. During the meeting, law enforcement officials discussed in detail the current threats facing young people.
Kirill Sergienko focused on methods used to lure students into drug trafficking. The speaker noted that suspicious offers of part-time work often conceal the activities of drug dealers.
– It's important to remember that anyone in possession of drugs at the time of arrest is legally considered their custodian. There have been cases where illegal substances were found in dorms, and questions were even raised about neighbors who were aware of the situation, – Kirill Vyacheslavovich emphasized.
Supervisors were advised to pay attention to the contents of students' phones: the presence of GPS cameras, apps like maps.me, or photographs of the area with coordinates often indicates illegal activity. The law enforcement officer also reiterated the procedure to follow when a drug stash or suspicious individuals are discovered: immediately report the matter to the police by dialing 102, and do not touch anything until the investigative team arrives.
The report also focused on issues of sexual integrity and digital security. Kirill Sergienko cited statistics: today, criminals primarily seek victims online. They create fake profiles and lure women with gifts and money. As an example, he cited the real-life case of a 32-year-old Minsk resident who was detained and whose actions affected 25 people.
The speaker also emphasized the penalties for distributing pornographic materials, including sending themed stickers and videos in group chats (Article 343 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). Kirill Vyacheslavovich also warned about the increasing incidence of online blackmail using intimate photos, which criminals coerce young people into sharing through correspondence.
Nikita Bogatov, in turn, addressed the issue of extremism prevention.
– I would like to ask all supervisors to inform students about the republican list of extremist materials, which is constantly updated on the Ministry of Information website. Often, when instances of sending prohibited stickers or videos in chats are discovered, young people claim they were unaware of the penalties, – the inspector noted.
Nikita Ivanovich cited illegal mass actions committed for the sake of absurd contests by famous bloggers as an example of the internet's destructive influence. Students who participated in such activities were subject to administrative charges for hooliganism, fines, registration, and expulsion. It was emphasized that the production, possession, and distribution of Nazi symbols is strictly prohibited by law.
The seminar's psychological section focused on preventing crisis situations and suicidal behavior among students. Victoria Strakovich discussed the specifics of adolescent experiences, noting students' tendency to catastrophize the difficulties they encounter. Her colleague, Natalya Kovalevskaya, listed behavioral markers that require close attention from a supervisor. These include: pessimism, sudden mood swings, apathy, disrupted sleep and eating patterns, loss of motivation to study, and a desire for solitude. The specialists emphasized that early identification of such signs allows for the provision of necessary support to students at an early stage.
The information obtained will help curators more effectively conduct educational work in groups, promptly inform students about legal regulations, and ensure a safe environment in educational groups.
