Kids Wallet,community service instead of expulsions,technical junior high schools against juvenile violence

New measures such as the Kids Wallet, the implementation of community service instead of school expulsions, and the creation of technical junior high schools modeled after EPAL are among the initiatives included in the National Strategy against Juvenile Violence and Delinquency, presented today at the Maximos Mansion in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The strategy’s motto is “Alongside children, against violence”, with the head of the expert committee that drafted it, Vasso Artinopoulou, emphasizing that “our vision is for children to grow up in a society free of violence.”

Highlighting three of the new measures, the Prime Minister referred specifically to the Kids Wallet, the role of sports, and mental health issues, urging parents to communicate more with their children.

“It’s easy to become a parent, but being a parent is very difficult and requires a lot of patience. Nothing we plan can happen without parents, who play the most critical role in raising their children,” Mitsotakis said.

Mitsotakis: Parents must talk to their children

Starting his speech, the Prime Minister thanked the experts for their guidance on the complex phenomenon of juvenile violence and delinquency, and also thanked Akis Skertsos, who will coordinate ministerial actions for implementing the strategy.

He highlighted domestic violence, school bullying – with over 1,000 incidents recorded on a platform that he believes should be upgraded – and the presence of police officers in youth-frequented areas to increase safety. He also mentioned the Safe Youth app, for when a young person is in danger.

Mitsotakis emphasized three key initiatives:

1. Kids Wallet & online addiction Designed to limit the severe internet addiction of youth, the Kids Wallet allows parents to manage screen time, not content, and serves as a digital age verification tool. “Experts say children’s brains change in preadolescence. Risk-taking and authority-challenging behavior is part of this process. I urge parents to use this tool and talk to their children to understand what’s troubling them.”
2. The role of sports Sports provide constructive release, promote teamwork, and teach balance between rights and responsibilities. “Let’s push our children toward sports. When they are engaged in sports, they stay away from risky behaviors. One action, multiple benefits.”
3. Mental health Mitsotakis noted that while it’s good that children now speak more openly, the state must enhance support structures. “We’re not where we want to be, but it’s a priority.”

Vasso Artinopoulou

Presenting the 158-page report, Professor Artinopoulou stated:

“Greece is not a dystopia regarding juvenile violence. According to Eurostat, Greece is mid-range in the EU in terms of juvenile suspects. However, Hellenic Police data from 2023-2024 show both qualitative and quantitative increases, including more involvement of girls, younger ages, and greater visibility due to online sharing.”

In recent years, 138 policies have been implemented regarding child protection, especially around cyberbullying and school incidents.

The report adds 23 new proposals, emphasizing holistic and rehabilitative approaches to juvenile offenders.

“Our vision is a society where children grow up free from fear. Violence should not be normalized but remain the exception.”

Notable proposals:

• Replace school suspensions with community service, such as helping younger students.
• Create 10 technical junior high schools that promote success and equal opportunity regardless of background.
• Emphasize digital maturity and the Kids Wallet as tools against online violence.
• In justice: establish integrated, child-centered structures, such as the “Child’s House”, and propose co-located judicial units (prosecutor, judge, investigator).
• Propose a unified data recording system for violence and juvenile delinquency.

“This strategy shifts from one-dimensional to holistic solutions,” Artinopoulou said. “We identified 38 monitoring indicators and experienced unprecedented cooperation across ministries and society.”

Kids Wallet – Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou

Papastergiou presented the Kids Wallet app, launched today at noon.

• Over 70,000 parents visited Parko.gov.gr to set phone controls.
• Kids Wallet provides:
  • Parental Control
  • Age Verification
  • Child Identification Tool

Using TaxisNet, parents can log in, access child profiles, set usage schedules, and view usage statistics.

“It also acts like an ID wallet for kids, e.g., to verify age in online purchases.”

“We’re not policing children. We’re encouraging parents to use it,” he added.

Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki

“We commit to increasing the number of school psychologists and social workers, currently at 4,600, though most only visit each school one day per week.”

Minister for Family & Social Cohesion Domna Michailidou

“Family is the most decisive factor in protecting children. When violence exists at home, it becomes normalized, and children don’t speak up.”

She emphasized child protection across all environments (homes, daycare centers, after-school programs), and mentioned legislative progress:

• Defined child abuse in law (since 2021)
• 3,500 organizations have child protection officers
• Over 2,000 professionals have been trained
• Background checks required for working with children
• 1107 hotline operates 24/7

Deputy Sports Minister Giannis Vroutsis

“Sports should not be an alibi for violence. We say sports are the antidote to violence.”

Nine sports-related policies include:

1. Laws regulating stadium entry (showing strong compliance since February 2024)
2. “Dimitris Vikelas” committee reforming school sports with value-based guidelines
3. National Sports Day (February 1st – anniversary of Alkis Kampanos’s murder)
4. EOCCAN promoting clean sports through school seminars
5. Infrastructure upgrades: over 100 athletic facilities under construction

Source: pagenews.gr