The public information with negative messages has a harmful effect on the mental health of children. The broadcasters must be aware of the fact that the negative information affects the health not only of other children, but also of their own children, said the head of the National Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse Daniela Samboteanu.

Contacted by IPN, she said that the violent messages or those of pornographic character are nothing else but abuses against the child. The programs with such content have a negative impact on the child’s emotional balance as they show models of behavior that the children try to copy. The effect is negative because the children are unable to fully realize the consequences of such messages at an early age.

“Other countries regulate all these aspects so as to protect children’s rights. In our country, everything is divided. There are laws that refer strictly to a certain segment or situation. It is very important that the law should be explained,” said Daniela Samboteanu. In the same connection, she stated that it’s hard to determine the number of children who became victims of negative public messages. But the child victims often go again through unpleasant moments when they are interviewed by journalists.

On March 3, the Parliament of Moldova adopted a law on the protection of children from the negative impact of public information, which defines the criteria for determining public information with negative impact on children, the way it is spread, and the rights and obligations of those that broadcast it.