Christina de Bruin: Violence against children is shifting to the digital world
Every second child in Bulgaria experiences some form of violence, which poses extremely serious challenges to our society. During the national conference "ZaKrila: From pilot models to sustainable practices," UNICEF Representative for Bulgaria, Christina de Bruin, emphasized that the protection of children must be a shared responsibility.
"It must be kept in mind that the nature of violence is changing – the situation is rapidly shifting to the digital world, where the level of aggression on various platforms is much higher," noted de Bruin.
Key highlights from the forum:
- Integrated approach: The "ZaKrila" model has already helped over 5,000 children by bringing together services from police, justice, healthcare, and education "under one roof."
- Digital risks: Protection systems must evolve faster to respond to new threats in the internet space.
- National priority: Successful reforms in Bulgaria are evidence of strong leadership, but it is necessary for these practices to cover the entire country so that no child is left "behind in the system."
The event took place on the eve of the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression and brought together representatives of institutions, experts, and non-governmental organizations determined to ensure a safer future for adolescents.