Round Table "Adolescents' High-Risk Behaviour – Parents' Turn to Speak" Thursday 19 May 2016 at 6.30 p.m. Auditorium – Monaco's Vocational and Catering School (Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monaco)

The Department of Education, Youth and Sport invites parents of pupils to a round table on the subject of:

"Adolescents' High-Risk Behaviour"

This meeting is organised in association with the Police Department, the Princess Grace Hospital (Department of Psychiatry), the Department of Social Welfare and Social Services, the Department of Health Affairs, the Fight AIDS Monaco Association and, of course, the Monaco Parent-Teacher Association.

What is meant by the term "high-risk behaviour?"

This refers to unnecessary risks taken by adolescents, whether on the roads, while taking part in certain sports activities, sexual relations or the use of products such as alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and other toxic substances … which increase all the other risks.

To address all these issues, preventative campaigns for pupils take place every year in schools.  The talks and the topics are adapted to suit the level of each class.  However, despite these preventative campaigns in educational establishments, all these risks to adolescents raise genuine questions among their parents, who sometimes ask themselves "How can we talk about it;  how can we talk to them about it?"

Therefore, for the past three years, the Department of Education, Youth and Sport, in association with all the other departments involved, has placed great importance on establishing a dialogue with the parents of pupils, because prevention concerns everyone.

This year, it's the turn of parents to speak.  They will have an opportunity to ask any questions that are troubling them.  Psychiatrists, psychologists, police officers, the social services and representatives from the Department of Education and associations will listen to them and try to answer their questions during open discussions.

A container for questions will be placed at the entrance to the auditorium for those who do not wish to speak publicly.  These questions will be relayed by the APEM.

Questions can also be sent by e-mail to:  denjs@gouv.mc or apemgeneral@monaco.mc .   The anonymity of senders will be scrupulously respected.