Save the Children Romania opens Antibullying Resource Center

Save the Children Romania inaugurated the Antibullying Resource Center on Wednesday, October 22, meant to be a hub of resources dedicated to children, teachers, and parents to understand, prevent, and respond appropriately to bullying situations and to improve the school climate.

The need for the center is dire. Around 90% of teachers and school counselors in Romania consider that the students they work with are victims of bullying, according to data from a complex qualitative analysis conducted by Save the Children Romania.

When asked about the factors or characteristics that make some students more at risk of becoming targets of bullying, most respondents (60%) indicated shyness or a more withdrawn character, followed by physical appearance (50.2%) and clothing style (40.9%), with sensitivity of the targeted student (39.8%) and the family’s economic situation (39%) close behind.

Regarding responsibility for such behaviors, most survey participants attribute it to the student exhibiting the behavior (73.5%), followed by parents/family (65%) and peers (61%).

While 11.4% of respondents believe that the student who is the target of bullying is also responsible, 17.4% think that teachers are also responsible, while school leadership was considered responsible by only 9.6% of respondents. Only 7 teachers out of 100 consider that responsibility is shared between the student initiating the behavior, their family, and the school, represented by teachers and school leadership.

Although 9 out of 10 respondents claim to have a good knowledge of bullying and can recognize it in practice, when asked to identify bullying characteristics, many make improper associations.

Depending on the environment, respondents from Bucharest schools are those who indicate the highest frequency of bullying (28.1%).

“It is important that each actor understands their role and takes responsibility for addressing a phenomenon that has serious consequences on children’s socio-emotional development. School must remain an environment where the child feels safe,” explained Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President of Save the Children Romania.

Save the Children has been researching bullying in the Romanian context for more than 10 years and developing programs with proven impact on children aged 3 to 17.

The Antibullying Resource Center is a physical and virtual space where schools and kindergartens receive real support to build safe and inclusive educational communities.

The services offered within the Antibullying Resource Center include the training of specialists (teachers, school counselors, non-teaching school staff, child protection specialists, and employees of school safety offices), the development and provision to schools and kindergartens of scientifically validated methodologies for preventing bullying and promoting a positive climate, counseling, prevention programs, and awareness campaigns.