Zarza and Stohanovic will expose the psychobiological bases which explain the impulsive and experimental behaviours during the adolescence, generated by the common emotional changes, identity conflicts or reckless behaviours, and even high risked conducts such as drugs or unprotected sex experiences. Ultimately, it is a vulnerable stage of the development to which it is necessary to add the physical changes and the acceptance fight. A vulnerability which, according to doctor María Zarza, “it is aggravated in marginal or low resources areas.

Thus, throughout the interventions, both experts will try to answer questions such as: How to assist adolescents during the evolutionary development? Do the adolescents have to face the greater dangers at the present? How can we protect them? Which are the protection keys within the family and community? Which resources can assist to a healthier development?, or how the effective preventive programmes have to be?

They will also address the contents of international drug prevention standards, based on policies that, working with the family, school and community, "could help children and young people, especially the most marginalized and poor, stay healthy and Insurance from the stage of growth to adulthood and old age”, says Zarza.

In this regard, Zarza and Stohanovic will refer to the Strong Families Program, implemented by UNODC since 2010, in collaboration with the UNDP Program Office in Serbia. The program has been applied to more than a thousand families in Southeast Europe with members between the ages of 10 and 14. According to Dr. Zarza, this intervention "has proven to be effective with families in general and also with families at risk" through working in parallel with parents and adolescent children, establishing limits and consequences, stimulating appropriate behaviour and empathy, appreciation of good friendships, group pressure against consumption, increased self-esteem and decreased stress and anxiety among adolescents, among other strategies.

In his view, "preventive strategies have to be attractive for adolescents and parents." With this premise, Zarza affirms that art (music, painting, writing, dance, theater, etc., along with play and social interaction, "motivates retention in the program, besides supposing one of the Better vehicles for communication, and the emotional and cognitive development of adolescents”.

Speakers:
María J. Zarza holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of Rutgers (New Jersey, USA). She conducted research on gender violence and sexual abuse for her thesis, and worked on clinical intervention programs with victims and perpetrators, including drug treatment. Subsequently, he developed his career in the evaluation of clinical assistance programs in substance use, violence, AIDS prevention and violence in marginalized groups in Los Angeles.

Currently, she is Executive Director of the Bionexum Health, a private centre of treatment, and she makes the international advisory tasks for the United Nations (UNODC). She also works as associate professor at Universitat de València and Berklee College of Music.

Milos Stohanovic is doctor in Dental Medicine. Regional officer and Director of programmes of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Serbia. Expert in prevention programs on substance abuse, HIV / AIDS in youth, adolescents and minorities at the regional office in Serbia that covers countries such as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Albania. He works with the United Nations since 2010 in the deployment of educating professionals programmes.

“Art and Mind” programme
“Art and Mind” is a sociocultural intervention project aimed at promoting creativity, artistic expression and social integration in minors by the Office of the Vice-Principal for Culture and Equality of the Universitat de València. The programme includes training sessions of psychotherapy and workshops on self-esteem, music therapy, art therapy, dance and theatre, as well as a cycle of conferences and open debates addressed to all the citizenship. All the activities are free, although workshops require enlistment and are addressed to children under 10 and 11 years old, and to their families.

The intervention programme will consist of 12 sessions which will be held on Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00. There will be workshops from 28 January to 27 May in the Cultural Centre La Nau. Registration is open, free and places are limited. Registrations and detailed information on the content, duration of the workshops, conferences and other complementary activities are explained in the web: http://www.uv.es/cultura/artiment.

The setting up of this programme has been possible thanks to the General Foundation of the UV and the implication of a great number of entities: Caixa Popular, Per Amor a l’Art Foundation, Antonia Mir Foundation, Berklee College of Music of Valencia, the Faculty of Psychology of the UV (Master’s Degree in Drug Dependence: Research, Treatment and Drug Pathologies), the Professional School of Music of Valencia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Associació ÀMBIT, Fundación por la Justicia, IVAJ (Generalitat Jove) and the public schools Cervantes, Dr. Oloriz, Primer Marqués del Turia, Mestalla and Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados.