World Vision Romania warns of online dangers to which students are exposed during the pandemic and according to a study conducted by the organization, their trust in parents decreased last year, they feel alone and one in five children says he/she is not supported by the family.
"The pandemic and the exclusively online school have led to the isolation of students, who have not communicated as much with teachers, colleagues and, unfortunately, although they have lived in the same house, nor with their parents. Against this background of loneliness, children are much more vulnerable to the dangers and negative role models of the online environment. According to the latest statistics from World Vision Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 20 percent of children living in rural areas say they are only sometimes or never happy, and a share of 7 percent say that they have a bad life," World Vision Romania informs in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.
Children in rural areas or belonging to other vulnerable categories, without material possibilities, are thus "perfect victims of media manipulators." For them, the only chance for the future is education, a modern education system that offers all children equal opportunities, regardless of the environment and material condition of the family, the quoted source mentions.
In the organization's view, however, parents, especially those in vulnerable categories, also need education. World Vision Romania works with over 20,000 children and parents from rural communities. One of the foundation's traditional programmes is the "Parents' School," an initiative aimed at parents in rural areas that intends to provide them with the tools they need to raise their children without violence, with warmth and understanding, raising their awareness as to the importance of schools for their children's future.
The study "Child Welfare in Rural Areas," conducted in 2020 by the World Vision Romania Foundation, shows that almost one-fifth of children in the country never feel supported by the whole family, including extended family members (uncles, aunts, etc.). 6 percent never, or only sometimes, trust the adults they live with. 8 percent believe that the family is never by their side when they need help, and 23 percent of them say that a family member only spends time with them sometimes or never. Children's trust in parents decreased by 14 percent in 2020, reaching 79 percent. Against this background, the public success of some characters who inspire and incite hatred and who have a grip on children is not at all surprising.
For these children, the main source of information on highly sensitive topics such as sexual violence, according to a 2019 World Vision study, is the Internet (for a third of them), including pornographic sites.
World Vision Romania considers that, in addition to the reform of the public education system, there is a need for non-formal education solutions to combat such phenomena, as well as the development of digital and safe internet skills for children since pre-school education.
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