Victoria Isac is a psychologist and English teacher in Cantemir, the Republic of Moldova. In 2019, the young teacher was the first to introduce the notion of bullying in her community.
With help from the EU, Victoria trained school management in her district on how to reduce and eliminate violence in school.
“My work often involves dealing with cases of violence between students,” says the teacher.
At her own NGO – the Centre for Training and Educational Development, Victoria was the coordinator of the project ‘Stop bullying/cyberbullying in school’. The project was funded by the EU’s Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowship Programme, and its aim was to help students, school management and teachers to prevent and stop incidents of violence (both online and offline).
“As part of the project, I received a series of trainings in Italy on how cases of school violence are addressed in Europe. When I returned to Moldova, I implemented what I had learnt by organising trainings for the head teachers, deputy head teachers and student counsellors of all the schools in the Cantemir district,” shares Victoria.
After receiving their training, school management staff members organised seminars for their students, and five schools equipped their halls with information boards promoting kindness and non-violence.
“The problem is ubiquitous, so the goal of the project was to raise awareness. If bullying is not stopped on time, the victim’s development can be hindered,” explains Victoria.
The project also addressed the phenomenon of cyberbullying:
“With the advance of technology, virtually everyone has access to the internet now. Even when children go home, the bullying continues online”.
In Victoria’s opinion, teachers are more than just educators and should learn how to help children face the challenges of modern society.
According to the UN’s World Report on Violence against Children, one in every ten children is subjected to violence in school, and this trend is growing by the year. Every day, Victoria tries to create a welcoming environment for her students – classes start with hugs and songs, and students have a special corner for reading during breaks.
“Discussion is essential for combating bullying. There is a reason why kids bully their peers, and if you find out what it is, you can reach the bully’s heart,” explains the psychologist.
Author: Adriana Vlas
Article published in Romanian by UNIMEDIA