Russia: new helpline for bullied schoolchildren
A helpline for schoolchildren to be launched in Russia
08.09.2026
Article published on the ASI website
The Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, has called this a “powerful tool in the fight against child bullying”.
From 11 September this year, students in Russian schools will be able to contact a Ministry of Education hotline to report any concerns related to the educational process or conflict situations. This was announced on 8 September by the Head of the Ministry, Sergey Kravtsov, at the Second All-Russian Congress of Parents’ Committees at the “Russia” National Centre.
“If you are aware of an incident at a particular school, please give us a call and we’ll look into it”, said the Minister.
He also stressed the importance of focusing not only on teaching and upbringing but also on the health of schoolchildren. With this in mind, 2027 is to be declared the Year of Schoolchildren’s Health as suggested by the parents’ community.
Maria Lvova-Belova has described the problem of bullying as acute and cited data from an All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre survey in which 84% of respondents agreed that bullying is a serious issue. According to data from Movement of the First, 75% of schoolchildren have been bullied, 60% of whom are 11-13 year-olds. Research conducted by the Higher School of Economics revealed that 53.9% of pupils have been bullied at least once in their lives, 52.7% have witnessed it first hand and 44% have been bullies themselves.
According to the Commissioner, other figures are particularly alarming. Forty-eight per cent of teachers and school heads surveyed failed to notice bullying while it was happening, 30% didn’t consider it to be bullying and saw no need to intervene. Forty-three per cent of parents were unaware their children are being bullied.
The School of Trust’s 24-hour psychological support helpline will begin operating from 11 September. By calling the freephone number: 8-800-707-02-01, students, their parents and teachers will be able to report any problem that has arisen in their school.
Sergey Kravtsov stressed that the hotline is open to everyone involved in the educational system – from pupils to teachers. He said that people shouldn’t be afraid of using the service – a timely call can help to prevent a problem, or a crisis from escalating.
