Also, almost all the children said that they watch TV because they feel lonely, as their parents work long hours and do not have time to talk to them about their problems. The respondents also said that teachers are also responsible, because they make students feel nervous, which in turn makes them aggressive during breaks. According to the survey, drawn up under the campaign for the prevention of violence in schools, most children say that responsible are both the parents, who do not have time for them, and the TV programs they watch.

According to the President of the National Audio-Visual Council, Laura Georgescu, this can be explained by the fact that children usually watch programs that are not suited for their age and prefer violent programs. On the other hand, the survey shows that, as regards school absenteeism, high-school students rank first. They are also those most likely to drink, smoke or take drugs, and it is also them that are usually involved in acts of violence. At least one such act takes place in Romanian schools every day, said the Education Minister, Remus Pricopie. He believes that complex measures are needed to fight this complex phenomenon.

Remus Pricopie: “Those who take measures should be people from the Education Ministry, from school, parents and children. We must talk to them about tolerance and about risks in schools.”

The Education Ministry is developing a project for combating violence in schools, which consists of an analysis conducted by researchers and another one drawn up as a result of an inter-institutional cooperation, followed by a public debate. Minister Remus Pricopie believes that prevention will curb violence in schools. According to the Bucharest Police, some 190 crimes have been reported in schools since the beginning of the year, as compared to 135 last year.