The Ombudsman spoke about the use of QR codes for reporting bullying in schools

The Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Moscow region Ksenia Mishonova has told on Monday, January 13, about how QR codes for bullying messages, which have started to appear in schools of the Moscow region, will work.

"It should be noted that the QR code in each school is unique, that's why it is important to scan it in your school. On the instructions of the Governor of the Moscow region Andrey Vorobyov, we are now introducing a system of QR codes, through which schoolchildren get to the chatbot. It offers several buttons and depending on the choice of the child, further actions will follow," Mishonova explained in a conversation with Radio 1.

The child goes to the chatbot, chooses the incident that bothers him, and optionally leaves contact information: phone number, school number, class number and so on. The complaint is recorded.

"If the schoolboy does not want to disclose the data, we offer him a helpline and a psychologist," she emphasized.

According to the children's ombudsman, the QR code will help to reboot the education system and also to prevent the development of conflicts, which turn into bullying.

Mishonova has specified that the distribution of QR codes to other schools of the region will take place after the testing period, reports 360.ru. According to her words, approximately within a month after the end of the test QR codes will be in every secondary school from the 5th to the 9th grade.

In turn, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, child psychologist Oksana Zaschirinskaya has stated that QR codes for bullying messages in schools will significantly reduce this problem.

"Today children have learned to complain. It is absolutely normal tendency among young people: to be dissatisfied with something and discuss it. Since children now have a digital mindset, they will quietly use such an innovation. I think it is a good idea," the psychologist concluded.

Earlier, on December 13, Chairman of the Duma Committee on Youth Policy Artem Metelev said that a bill on the prevention of bullying among children and youth will be submitted to the State Duma for consideration in early 2025, RT reports.

The bill envisages the enshrinement of the concept of bullying, and proposes to oblige schools to report cases of bullying to the police and the juvenile affairs commission. In addition, individual preventive work will be conducted with the instigators of bullying, and they may also be prosecuted.

It is noted that the plans also include the introduction of new measures to combat bullying on the Internet. So, social networks will be obliged to find the relevant content, delete and block the organizers of bullying.

Earlier, on September 23, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova reported that the apparatus received more than 240 appeals about child bullying. According to her, there are cases of bullying even in kindergartens, but educational organizations do not address this problem in any way.