Together Against Violence in Schools Campaign has started

Dr. Jane Muita: Violence against children often remains hidden in the family or online

published on 1/22/19 3:33 PM

"Together Against Violence in Schools" is the first major initiative in the new 5-year cooperation program (2018-2022) between UNICEF and the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science. Representative of UNICEF for Bulgaria for the period is Dr. Jane Muita. She was born in Kenya and has a master’s degree in pediatrics from the Nairobi University and a master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

Dr. Jane Muita for the BNR

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Dr. Muita has pointed out the crucial importance of ethical media coverage of violence. Report should not cause further harm to the child, even if the child is now a grown-up. If the problem is properly reflected in media, more children and more women will find courage to go out and talk about it. We also need not only to inform society, but also to try to help, by calling a hotline for helping victims of violence. Such a hotline has been opened by Animus Association in Bulgaria. Once we have placed a signal, preserving the anonymity, the child should be directed to a service for help. Once reported, the case should be traced to the end of the violence. Otherwise, there is no point in informing, Dr Jane Muita says.

Dr. Jane Muitahas taken part in a forum in Sofia against sexual abuse of children, organized by the State Agency for Child Protection together with UNICEF, the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at the Sofia University and the Association of European Journalists - Bulgaria.