The notion of bullying could be regulated by the legislation of the Republic of Moldova. The Parliament’s commission on culture, education, research, youth, sport and the media on December 1 approved the report on the bill by which it is proposed introducing the notion of bullying in the Education Code. Bullying will be recognized as a form of psychological violence that results in the humiliation of children, IPN reports.

After the legislative amendments take effect, the responsible authorities will work out the methodological norms for implementing the law and will propose practices for preventing and combating bullying.

The document was endorsed also by other standing commissions of Parliament, by the National Anticorruption Center and by the Government.

It is proposed that the law should take effect in six months of its publication in the Official Gazette. The Ministry of Education and Research during a month of the coming into force of the law will approve the methodology concerning the prevention and combating of bullying.

According to official statistics, about 87% of the sixth-twelfth graders in Moldova are affected by bullying. The situation in education institutions in Chisinau is the most worrisome. Here, each fourth student was a victim of bullying or witnessed situations of bullying.