Romania launches initiatives for bullying and addiction prevention

Initiatives in Romania are focusing on early intervention to protect children from bullying and addiction through socio-emotional education and strengthened interpersonal relationships.

An international forum organized by Salvați Copiii România, supported by the OMV Petrom Foundation, highlighted that bullying prevention can begin as early as kindergarten. Data from the ‘Să fim prieteni – Fără bullying’ program, conducted across 277 kindergartens in Bucharest and 25 counties, showed significant improvements in teacher preparedness. While 82.6% of educators initially reported bullying victims among their students, 98% felt prepared to manage such situations following the program.

In a separate but related effort, the ‘Prevenția începe în relație’ (Prevention begins in relationship) campaign was launched at the Cotroceni Palace. This initiative, supported by the World Health Organization in Romania and the Ministry of Health, emphasizes that addiction prevention relies on building trust, empathy, and strong connections between children and adults, including parents and teachers.