It is a time when we talk a lot about our social responsibility towards the refugees from Ukraine that we are now hosting in Moldova.
Every example of selfless support offered to people in deadlock matters and can become inspiration to multiply humanity. However, let us not forget to find the balance between good intentions and the risk of leaving room for misinterpretation in relation to the wellbeing of one of the most vulnerable social categories affected by the war crisis – children.
The case of interaction between the vlogger Emilian Crețu and one of the children of the refugee families he sheltered in his own home sparked the revolt and concern of many of our fellow citizens and representatives of civil society. In the context of this situation, we reiterate the importance of protecting all children from any form of abuse and ensuring a safe space, even in the context of a massive humanitarian crisis.
Caring for foreign children, including refugees, must take into account the child’s personal limits.
In any context, but especially in situations that are stressful for children, we must make every effort to keep clear the boundaries of the minor’s circle of trusted persons. In order to develop a child’s resilience against potential abuse, it is important to talk about personal boundaries in the right terms.
Child protection experts emphasize the need to keep an appropriate distance between the child and adults he or she does not know, especially when it comes to a young child. Precisely for this reason, discussions of an unknown adult with a child about intimate parts of the body must remain in the taboo zone. And publishing such discussions online, trivializing them or, even worse, placing them in the area of entertainment or personal branding are examples of reprehensible behavior, which can distort the child’s perception of his own body, normalizing unhealthy models of sex education of children.
The authorities must think of and implement a clear and effective mechanism for monitoring refugee families placed in hundreds of houses, apartments and private households across our country.
In the context of the refugee crisis, states must ensure minimum standards of accommodation and asylum for children to protect them from any form of abuse. Being a signatory to the Lanzarote Convention, Moldova has committed to take measures to ensure continuous supervision of minors in cases of placement in host families. In other words, the thousands of mother-child couples staying at this time in private houses and apartments all over Moldova must be constantly monitored by a representative of the authorities competent in the field of child rights protection.
Child caregivers should exercise increased caution in the context of interaction of a large number of people with their children.
The signatory organizations of this declaration come with an appeal to all parents of children and teenagers, especially in their capacity as refugees in a situation of temporary placement on the territory of our country: no matter how difficult the situation you are in, be careful to what extent you allow strangers to show their care and desire to help you and your child. Remain vigilant to any sudden changes in your children’s behavior.
To report any type of violation of the rights of children, you can call Child’s Phone – 116 111.
You can leave your messages, questions, notifications about the situation of children at risk of trafficking and/or sexual exploitation on the platform siguronline.md.
Green Line of the One-Stop Refugee Flow Crisis Management Centre – 080080011.
Signatory organizations:
International Center La Strada
National Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse (CNPAC)
Moldovan Center of Information and Documentation on Children’s Rights (CIDDC)