Ombudsman: Lack of school counselors and difficult access to psychological services leave children vulnerable to violence

The limited access of children to psychological counseling services and poor collaboration between institutions are among the most serious problems identified by the Ombudsman in the field of child rights protection, according to the report on the casuistry registered in 2025. The document draws attention to the fact that these deficiencies contribute to the underreporting of cases of violence against minors and insufficient interventions in situations of risk.

• Lack of specialists in schools, one of the main vulnerabilities

The report signals a significant shortage of school counselors and psychologists in educational institutions, which limits children's access to specialized support. In many situations, minors have difficulty reaching psychological counseling services, either due to the distance from social assistance centers, or due to the families' financial problems or the lack of support from local authorities. The Ombudsman also highlights the fact that, sometimes, cases are closed by child protection departments with the recommendation that students receive support in schools, even if the staff does not have the necessary attributions or training for specialized interventions.

• Insufficiently reported cases of violence

The report highlights major difficulties in identifying and reporting cases of violence against children. Among the identified causes are: community tolerance of violence; families' fear of reprisals; poor collaboration between the police, schools and child protection departments. The document shows that educational institutions and police inspectorates do not always transmit cases to the DGASPC, which leads to incomplete or delayed interventions.

• Systemic problems in rural areas

The report highlights the lack of social services in many rural localities, as well as the shortage of specialized personnel - social workers and psychologists. In addition, monitoring of children exposed to violence is often superficial, and communication between institutions and families is described as "cumbersome”. In the case of bullying, children are often afraid to talk about abuse, and adults tend to minimize the seriousness of the situations. Often, the solutions applied are punctual - counseling or transferring the student to another class or school - without addressing the causes of aggressive behavior.

• Children, sometimes ignored in cases of domestic violence

The report also shows that, in some situations of domestic violence, minors are not included in the risk assessment when the authorities consider issuing protection orders. There is also an increase in cases of psychological violence in the family, including in the form of parental alienation in conflicts between parents. Interventions by the authorities are sometimes blocked by the refusal of parents or children to access support services, amid a lack of trust in their effectiveness.