Each district in Moldova addresses cases of violence separately, without a systemic strategy, which undermines the effectiveness of interventions. During a conference centering on the phenomenon of violence against children, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu stressed the need for a multidimensional approach to increase the effectiveness of interventions. The official noted that today the system is fragmented and the efforts at the local level are not combined to support frontline professionals, IPN reports.
According to the minister, a series of guidelines and regulations were designed in recent years and these were offered to frontline specialists with the hope that they will cope. It is a wrong approach. Instead, particular processes should be simplified. “Last week, we registered 183 cases of violence in the social assistance system. Most of them concern violence against children. There are districts that registered zero cases last week and the week before. If we look at the interventions in these cases, they vary greatly. In some districts, they are two to three times larger than those in the neighboring district. There is a lot of noise in the system, which shows that there is no systemic approach. In such a small country, in each district the wheel is invented every time there is a case of violence and this is not good because it means that our intervention is not so effective,” said Alexei Buzu.
UNICEF Moldova Country Representative Maha Damaj noted that violence against children is one of the most terrible social crimes. The problem cannot be solved only through penalties or policy documents. A comprehensive, long-term approach is needed on the part of society. Frontline specialists - social workers, child protection specialists, police officers, health workers - need to work together. Actions must be focused on preventing crime by examining patterns of violence, attitudes and social norms to better understand why violence occurs. Ambitious prevention programs that meet the needs of child victims and multisectoral cooperation mechanisms are needed.
Head of the WHO Country Office in the Republic of Moldova Miljana Grbic said that abuse and violence also generate a global health crisis. Children who are victims of violence grow up with long-term effects on mental, emotional, physical health. Joint actions are needed to solve this problem.
Mission Director for USAID Moldova Jeff Bryan stressed that although the Republic of Moldova has taken significant steps to reform the child protection and care system, physical, sexual and emotional abuse remains widespread and very often hidden. In today’s digital age, violence against children online is also a critical issue. The Internet offers extensive opportunities for learning and growth, but also poses significant risks. It is important to educate the parents and children and implement strict safety measures to create a safer online environment.
Ombudsman for Children’s Rights Vasile Coroi underlined the importance of identifying children in need of help as early as possible and detecting the risk factors for particular people and also the signs of violence.
The National Child Protection Program for 2022-2026 sets out the objectives and priority actions for the next five years, aimed at strengthening the child social protection system in the Republic of Moldova in order to respond promptly and efficiently to the needs of each child.
