On International Youth Day 2017, UNODC launches tool to help communities use sport to build resilience of their youth

12 August 2017 - Building on the work of the United Nations and others to help at-risk youth in marginalized communities avoid engaging in drugs, crime and violence, UNODC today launched its brand new Line Up Live Up Trainer Manual. Designed to assist coaches, trainers, youth workers and others looking to use sport as a vehicle to help 13 to 18 year olds cope with challenges in everyday life, the Trainer Manual has been designed for use in low resource settings across the globe.

The Trainer Manual specifically draws on sport as a positive influence for youth to develop their personal and social skills and aims to increase knowledge about the risks associated with crime, violence and drug use.

This approach reflects the Doha Declaration, adopted at the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in 2015, which stresses youth participation in crime prevention efforts. The tool, which has been developed as part of the resultant Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, is also closely linked with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which emphasizes sport's role for social progress and inclusion.

What are life skills?

Life skills are a set of personal and interpersonal (social) skills that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands, stressors and interpersonal conflicts of everyday life. UNODC's Line Up Live Up initiative works in several areas to strengthen young people's resilience, promote tolerance and respect, and reduce the probability of their engaging in risky behaviours, including:

Coping with stress and emotions
Critical thinking
Decision-making and problem solving
Effective communication and relationship skills
Refusal skills
Self-awareness and empathy

Comprising 10 sports-based exercises carefully designed to target a specific set of issues, the Trainer Manual ultimately addresses three key mediating factors:

Boosting life skills to help young people increase their ability to interact with others, to develop positive relationships, and to cope with negative emotions to help minimize risk factors and maximize protective factors;
Increasing young people's knowledge on crime, violence and drug use, including their perception of risk; and
Positively influencing young people's attitudes and behaviour that are affected by their beliefs and misconceptions around drug use and violence.

The Training Manual is complemented by a set of instruction cards as well as a logbook for the participating youth. The latter will allow participants to record personal notes and observations that they can then go back to, as well as to score themselves on the skills addressed in the sessions, and monitor their own progress.

Additional information:

Line Up Live Up Trainer Manual download

Doha Declaration Global Programme

Youth crime prevention through sports

Doha Declaration

13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development