A 16-year-old girl, the only daughter of a couple from the Cerro Grande sector in the El Valle parish of Caracas, had become aggressive, left home and fell into the consumption of narcotic substances.
Chief Inspector Armando Figueroa, coordinator of the Community Outreach office in the El Valle parish, told Últimas Noticias The young woman's mother, seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, decided to knock on the door of the Community Police Service of the Bolivarian National Police Corps to ask for help.
The woman arrived at the office distraught and claimed she wasn't seeking punishment for her daughter, but rather guidance and tools to help her get off the path she was on. The typical rebelliousness of her age had been compounded by drug use, resulting in a reluctant, agitated young woman who was practically homeless, accompanied by her partner, who also struggled with addiction.
“It was quite a complex issue,” Figueroa recounted. The drug altered her nervous system, making her aggressive and unwilling to receive help.
Mediation. The first task was to gain the young woman's trust. Through several therapy sessions and conversations, the girl agreed to speak with the officers of the Community Police Service, who personally attended to her, listened to her, and guided her without judgment. "She came to several therapy sessions where I personally attended to her, talked with her, and gave her guidance," the officer explained.
The teenager acknowledged that she needed help and accepted the possibility of entering a rehabilitation center. At that point, the Community Police Service's Preventive Front stepped in and arranged for her to be admitted to a specialized center.
Commitments. The whole family was involved in the process. On the day of the first psychological therapy session at a rehabilitation center in Las Mercedes, the teenager was accompanied by her father, her mother, and her partner.
“Those family bonds were strengthened again, values were rekindled, and, of course, respect was restored among them,” she said. The mother thanked the police team for ensuring her daughter received the necessary care. The change, they say, is already visible. “Her physical features and clothing have changed considerably, because she was practically homeless,” Figueroa added.
Parenting School. Behind this case is a project run by the Community Police Service. The Parenting School is a training and support program that focuses on strengthening family principles and values, teaching parents how to raise their children well with discipline, respect, courtesy, and education.
The project is aimed at families vulnerable to various forms of violence, alcohol abuse, drug use, and other issues. It provides a safe space where teenagers are not criminalized and parents are not blamed. Instead, the project seeks to rebuild family bonds and equip each household with the tools to raise children with love and clear boundaries.
Operation. The activities carried out by the Parents' School are purely preventative and are based on principles, values, and respect. These include discussions, educational activities, psychological evaluations, and family therapy sessions, the latter provided by professionals who are part of the Preventative Front.
The procedure is simple: the family arrives, their situation is heard, and a tailored support plan is designed. In the case of the teenager from Cerro Grande, the process included individual sessions with the young woman, meetings with the family, and coordination with specialized rehabilitation centers.
The project operates in all Community Police Service locations, allowing any family in the Libertador municipality to access guidance without having to travel long distances. The governing body for these instructions is the Ministry of Popular Power for Interior Relations, Justice and Peace.
Figueroa clarified that the School for Parents is a project of the Community Police Service and that the Preventive Front is integrated according to the needs of each case, contributing knowledge and experience thanks to a team made up of professionals and specialists.
Regulations. The case was handled by enforcing the provisions of the Ordinance for Citizen Coexistence, Civics and Community Peace Justice of the Libertador municipality.
Article 14 was applied, in relation to the implementation of public policies aimed at inclusion, respect for human dignity and the protection of vulnerable groups, which are defined in Article 11 as those people whose rights are unprotected due to their social condition; among these are children and adolescents.
The legislation in detail
- Values and principlesThe Ordinance for Citizen Coexistence, Civics and Community Peace Justice of the Libertador municipality defines in its article 8 the prevalence of the rights of children and adolescents and their comprehensive protection as fundamental values and principles for healthy citizen coexistence.
- Social solidarityArticle 14 of the regulations states that residents, visitors, passersby, popular power, public and private institutions must contribute to collective well-being and promote solidarity by reporting to the competent authorities the existence of people in a homeless situation or with social vulnerability, especially girls, boys or adolescents.
- Organizations and entitiesAccording to Article 16 of the Ordinance, it is the duty of schools, high schools, churches, government institutions, communities and NGOs to contribute to the corrective and sanctioning measures established for the comprehensive care of children and adolescents in a condition of social risk.
- IntegrityAccording to article 18 of the municipal regulations, the sale of alcoholic beverages and harmful substances to children or adolescents must be avoided.
