An exhibition called "Cyber Defenders" opened today in the foyer of the NHK Cultural Centre in Burgas. Its motto is "Together in the fight against cyberbullying of children". The show is about children's safety online.
This report follows our earlier story about the planned opening of the "Cyber Defenders" exhibition at the NHK Cultural Centre on 7 October.
Burgas deputy mayor Mihail Nenov, who is in charge of education, health care, social services and youth policy, opened the exhibition. Guests included Maria Markova, Burgas regional prosecutor, and Prof Vladimir Bronfenbrener, chair of the Bulgarian Academy of Security and the man behind "Cyber Defenders".
The programme aims to prevent cyberbullying and teaches children how to stay safe online. Israel's Agency for the Protection of Children in Cyberspace has been its partner since 2021. In Bulgaria, the programme began in 2019, based on an idea by Prof Bronfenbrener.
It is part of the education ministry's National "Security" Programme. Burgas has been a pilot region for it since December 2025. Burgas council and the Regional Education Directorate in Burgas back the programme. Fourth-graders in all schools in the region will get separate lessons on how to stay safe online.
Data presented in the programme show that the share of children in Bulgaria hit by cyberbullying fell from 64.5% to 49.6% over the past four years. Prof Bronfenbrener said Bulgaria is among the 10 countries with the lowest share of children harmed online, but the figures are still worrying.
He said cyberbullying of children has grown in recent years, and children suffer from it most. In his view, prevention matters most, and it starts with upbringing: fewer risks, responsible browsing, privacy, boundaries and morals. Society has a duty to protect children, the professor said.
"Small changes in browsing habits can lead to big changes in safety," Prof Bronfenbrener said. He added that the programme makes children in Burgas safer online, and that the experience here can serve as a basis for taking it to other cities and regions.
Mihail Nenov said some of the pupils have probably already received such messages online. The risk applies to every grade, so the aim is for children to use what they learn in daily life and online. He thanked Prof Bronfenbrener for bringing the project to Burgas.
Maria Markova said Burgas is a pilot city, and warned that a child can be both a victim and an offender. "You children come across people who can pose as all kinds of people and draw you into crimes," she told the pupils. If they feel in danger, children should tell their parents, their class teacher or the school psychologist, Markova advised.
The prosecutor's office runs its own education programme and visits Burgas schools with talks on child protection.