Violence and emotional abuse or bullyingare elements of the daily life of many children in the Republic of Moldova both at school and at home. According to UNICEF, 76% of the children aged between 2 and 14 were subject to violent disciplinary methods at home and almost each second adolescent knows a mate who is the victim of bullying. To prevent violence against children, teachers and specialists in children’s rights protection from 30 Moldovan localities will carry out activities in their communities in the framework of the project “Preventing violence against the child through community involvement” that is financially supported by the Oak Foundation and is implemented by Terre des hommes Moldova, IPN reports.

According to Elena Madan, director of the representative office of Terre des hommes in Moldova, the 30 communities were chosen as a result of a public contest launched last yearend, when the project started. Until the project is implemented by 2021, all the communities will go through a process of change of views and attitudes to violence. The activities will feature teachers, professionals in child protection and children aged between 7 and 15.

Project coordinator Anatolii Oprea, specialist in child protection, said 30 schools will be turned into nonviolent centers. There will be created a network of clubs where 150 children will mobilize their mates to stage peer-to-peer activities. These children will also be taught the methodology of social theater and will put up plays centering on human rights and not only.

There will be worked out a methodology for the participation of children, a set of training programs for teachers and psychologists and a training program for children aimed at preventing violence and at promoting tolerance and the participatory principle. As part of the project, there will be held meetings with parents to encourage the participation not only of mothers, but also of fathers. In ludoteques, the children will stage psychosocial activities that will help them be more resistant to stress.

Attending the event, Viorica Dumbrăveanu, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, said nonviolent education of children remains a shortcoming and welcomed, in this regard, the parenting skills development component.

Terre des hommes is the leading Swiss organization for children’s aid. It has worked in Moldova since 2004.