One in five students faces bullying, and teens speak out on stage in a social show
In the Republic of Moldova, one in five students is affected by bullying, although the number of reported cases is significantly lower. Nine teenagers from various schools across the country bravely shared their experiences. They participated in a social play titled "Ask me If I'm okay."
A 15-year-old student was beaten and electrocuted at a gymnasium in Ialoveni. "Ask me if I’m okay. Only the most serious cases get media coverage; the rest remain in statistics."
This play is inspired by real events and remarkable experiences endured by the nine teenagers who became actors.
"I personally was a victim of bullying and a witness to it. Because of my height, many people bullied me, and this motivated me to be here," says student Cristina Pîslari.
"We want to make a change in the world so that the planet we live on becomes a beautiful place," says student Beatrice Țapu.
The show was produced in collaboration with the Republican Theater “Luceafărul,” under the guidance of director Slava Sambriș, with contributions from actors Pavel Ermacov and Irina Vacarciuc.
"This show is about appealing for empathy, understanding, and acceptance. It’s essential to recognize that people are different. We arrived at this theme through a natural process; it emerged from the children themselves," explains director Slava Sambriș.
"We purchased tickets for the whole family. The intent was to present this topic in a meaningful way to warn children that humiliating someone is not acceptable."
"It would be wonderful to reach a point where we can say: we no longer have bullying in society, and we no longer have violence."
Tickets were sold as donations—200, 300, or 500 lei—and all proceeds were directed to the Ana Fund, an initiative of the Coalition that supports women and girls affected by violence.
"It is one of the first forms of violence that children face, and around 80% of young people report having experienced an instance of bullying. We believe it is crucial to focus on prevention campaigns," emphasizes Andreea Neaga, communicator for the National Coalition "Life without Violence."
During the 2024-2025 school year, 1,718 cases of bullying were reported in educational institutions. However, in the current school year, that number has already been surpassed. Specialists note that many instances of bullying go unreported. The rise in reported cases is encouraging, as it indicates that more individuals are recognizing the seriousness of this issue.
Author: Camelia Babeica
