The Alliance of NGOs Active in the Field of Child and Family Social Protection (APSCF) and the Ministry of Education and Research launched Anti-Bullying Week in schools across the country. The initiative, held between November 4–8, is part of the campaign “Together, Without Bullying!” — an information and awareness campaign aimed at educating students, teachers, and parents about bullying and its consequences.
During Anti-Bullying Week, schools in the Republic of Moldova will organize educational and awareness-raising activities for primary, middle, and high school students. These activities are designed to explain the phenomenon, distinguish it from other forms of abuse, and present its consequences and methods of prevention. Students will take part in age-appropriate activities such as art workshops, film screenings, informational sessions, discussions, and other actions — all meant to promote empathy and tolerance among children.
According to the KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices) study conducted by APSCF in collaboration with Magenta Consulting, more than 70% of children have witnessed bullying situations. The most prevalent forms are verbal and relational, accounting for 54%, surpassing physical bullying, which makes the phenomenon harder to identify. Alarmingly, only 34% of children who experienced online bullying reported it to an adult. Additionally, approximately 12% of teachers and 21% of psychologists said they observed or heard about bullying cases every week.
These findings, along with other observations from the study, show that bullying remains a serious community issue that must be addressed. The activities carried out throughout Anti-Bullying Week aim raise awareness about the gravity of the phenomenon, encourage children to seek help from adults in managing violent situations, and ensure a safer, more supportive school environment. On November 7, educational institutions will mark the International Day Against Violence and Bullying in Schools.
The campaign “Together, Without Bullying” is carried out under the project “Together for Quality Education”, implemented by APSCF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research, and funded by the Liechtenstein Development Service. Within the project, 80 national trainers have been trained in bullying prevention, who have committed to conducting awareness and training sessions for teachers across the country. Additionally, five grants have been awarded to civil society organizations to implement activities aimed at preventing and combating bullying and its manifestations. These actions have reached more than 2,600 direct beneficiaries in 15 regions of the country.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), bullying is one of the major risk factors affecting children’s and adolescents’ mental health, and one of the leading causes contributing to the escalation of depressive episodes.