Official approval granted for anti-bullying work in Tomsk schools.
*In Tomsk, bullying in schools remains a pressing issue, but thanks to preventative measures taken by the office of the Children's Ombudsman, Larisa Loskutova, the situation is being kept under control. According to Oleg Pravdin, a member of Tomsk's Legislative Assembly, trust in the Children's Ombudsman is on the rise.
During a recent regional council meeting, Loskutova reported on the office's work in Tomsk over the past year and discussed preventative measures against bullying among adolescents. Throughout the year, the Ombudsman received 14 complaints regarding school bullying, compared to 6 in the previous year. Loskutova believes that children are more often seeking help from adults.
"As Loskutova explained, the number of complaints to her office has increased. This suggests that people trust the office of the Children's Ombudsman... Of course, there are complaints about bullying - it does occur in our schools. I should note, however, that with her work alongside teachers and deputy directors for pedagogical work, this problem in Tomsk is being addressed", stated RIA Tomsk's Pravdin.
During her speech to the legislative assembly, Loskutova also discussed the effectiveness of school mediation services (mediation services). According to her, in schools where such services have been established, the conflict situation and bullying are less tense.
Following Loskutova's report, the legislative assembly, by a majority vote, approved the anti-bullying prevention measures in Tomsk's schools.
Previously, it was reported that the office of the Children's Ombudsman conducts annual surveys of students in Tomsk schools to monitor the bullying situation. In 2024, approximately 17,000 children were surveyed. The study showed that 4.7% of those surveyed are subjected to bullying, and 2.3% engage in bullying themselves. 78.1% (13,214 children) reported having not encountered bullying.
On a broader national level, efforts to combat cyber threats and bullying include:- Educational programs aimed at improving digital literacy for children, parents, and educators.- Regulatory proposals addressing AI-generated threats, such as deepfakes, which may indirectly affect bullying dynamics.- Multi-stakeholder collaboration* between government agencies, businesses, and NGOs to combat cyber threats, including cyberbullying.
These measures focus on digital safety, but Tomsk's anti-bullying strategies would likely align with Russia’s broader framework, such as school psychological services, hotlines, and awareness campaigns about bullying consequences. However, the specific effectiveness of Tomsk’s anti-bullying measures cannot be accurately assessed without localized data from the search results. Direct consultation with the regional ombudsman's office or municipal education reports would be necessary for information on Tomsk-specific initiatives.*
- The office of the Children's Ombudsman in Tomsk, specifically Larisa Loskutova, is taking strong measures to combat bullying among adolescents in schools.
- During a recent meeting, Loskutova discussed the effectiveness of school mediation services as a preventative measure against bullying among students.
- The legislative assembly of Tomsk, by a majority vote, approved the anti-bullying prevention measures, suggesting a general agreement on the importance of addressing this issue.
- On a larger scale, the Russian government is working on educational programs and regulatory proposals to improve digital literacy and combat cyber threats, including cyberbullying, which may indirectly impact efforts to reduce bullying in schools.
