Turkey addresses child bullying and establishes disarmament sub-commissions

A report compiled by a sub-commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has revealed the extent of peer bullying among children aged 6 to 17. According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute and the Ministry of Family and Social Services, approximately 13.8% of children in this age group experience bullying. The most common form is mockery, while 7.2% face intentional social exclusion and 4.4% experience physical violence. The risk is significantly higher for children with functional difficulties, such as those with visual, hearing, walking, learning, or communication challenges, where the rate rises to approximately 27%.

In a separate political development, the Monitoring, Detection, and Evaluation Board has held its first meeting to establish sub-commissions under a new legal framework aimed at a terrorism-free Turkey. These include the Judicial and Legal Affairs Coordination Sub-commission, the Monitoring and Detection Sub-commission, the Social Adaptation and Integration Sub-commission, and the Disarmament and Strategic Coordination Sub-commission. The Disarmament and Strategic Coordination Sub-commission, which will include Abdullah Öcalan, is tasked with monitoring the surrender of weapons. The Social Adaptation and Integration Sub-commission will oversee the rehabilitation of members returning to the country or being released from prison, involving experts from the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Ministry of Health.