TEXT 1.

CHILDREN OF MOLDOVA
There are gradual improvements in almost all indicators of child well-being in Moldova, although with more visible coexisting inequalities.
Most children in Moldova attend primary and secondary schools, at 99 per cent and 96 percent respectively, but preschool
education still lags behind. In rural areas only 64 per cent of 3 to 5 year-olds benefit from early childhood learning.
Children with disabilities and those from ethnic minorities are frequently excluded or discouraged from formal
schooling.
Child mortality rates are low. According to official statistics, the under-five mortality rate is 11.9 and the infant mortality
rate is 9.4 per 1,000 live births. Moldovas health system is constantly developing, with a nation-wide health insurance
scheme in place and a growing primary health care sector. Advances have been made in the coverage of antenatal care
and immunization, reaching the large majority of pregnant women and young children. There are, however, shortages of
qualified medical staff in rural areas, and many families have to pay for medicines out of pocket, which is prohibitive
for the poor.
Progress in other areas of child survival requires ongoing attention. Chronic malnutrition or stunting affects 6 per cent of
children under 5 and the poorest children are four times more likely to be stunted than the wealthiest ones. HIV remains a
concern in Moldova, especially as only a third of young people know the main modes of HIV transmission and ways to
prevent infection.
Parent drain is a major feature of family life in Moldova. One in five children has one or both biological parents
working abroad, with the middle class being the most affected. Children left behind end up being cared for by their
grandparents, extended family members or, in some cases, live on their own. Migration of a parent or caregiver has both
positive and negative effects - the transfer of remittances may provide better living conditions for the children left
behind, yet the absence of parents is emotionally challenging and may lead to lack of care and the increased likelihood of
risky behaviour.
Putting children into residential care, especially children from poor families and children with disabilities, was a
common practice in the past. This is rapidly changing, and the country has made great progress in reforming the system.
The number of institutionalized children has halved between 2007 and 2013 and there has been an increase in the use of
family-based alternatives such as foster care.
Poverty is a predominantly rural phenomenon, where it is four times higher than in urban areas. It also disproportionately
affects larger families. Families with three or more children remain the most vulnerable to poverty the rate for this
category is 35 per cent compared to 10 per cent for families with one child. The 2012 Moldova Multiple Indicator Cluster
survey (MICS) revealed the extent to which vulnerable groups are facing other deprivations. In rural areas, only 81 per
cent of people use safe sources of drinking water, compared to 96 per cent in urban areas.
The access to sanitation is even worse only 61 per cent of rural household members use adequate sanitation as opposed
to 85 per cent in urban areas. Children from the Roma communities and children with disabilities are among the most
vulnerable, experiencing social exclusion and poor access to basic services. Growing up in Moldova still carries risks of
violence and abuse.
Children are exposed to high levels of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as domestic violence and harsh discipline. Three
quarters of children between the ages of 2 and 14 have experienced violent disciplining methods; about half have been hit
or beaten by their parents as punishment. Children who come into contact with the law, as victims or as suspects, may be
treated harshly by law enforcement officials. The government, however, is making efforts to better protect children
through improved policies and greater awareness around violence against children. The number of children in detention
has declined dramatically and alternatives to detention are increasingly used.

Despite the challenges, great progress has been made, and the countrys commitment to protect and promote the rights of
all children is a strong driver for future interventions. Moldova is the only country that has a distinct chapter on child
rights in its Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). This should further ensure that government-led
reforms incorporate protection and promotion of the rights of all children.
TEXT 2. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN
Children in homes where domestic violence occurs may be witnesses to abuse, may themselves be abused, may suffer
harm incidental to the domestic abuse, and may be used by the batterer to manipulate or gain control over the victim.
The Womens Rural Advocacy Program offers a good overview of the ways in which children can be affected by domestic
violence.
Effects on Children
First, children are often witnesses to domestic violence. As reported in the Toolkit to End Violence Against
Women, created by the National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women and the United States Department of
Justices Violence Against Women Office, slightly more than one-half of female victims of domestic violence in the
United States live in homes with children under twelve.
As witnesses, children can be harmed psychologically and emotionally. Studies indicate that child witnesses, on
average, are more aggressive and fearful and more often suffer from anxiety, depression and other trauma-related
symptoms. Children growing up in violent homes often take responsibility for the abuse and may feel guilty for not being
able to stop it. They live with constant anxiety that another beating will occur, or that they will be abandoned. They may
feel guilty for loving the abuser. Children may be at a higher risk of alcohol or drug abuse, experience cognitive problems
or stress-related ailments (headaches, rashes), and have difficulties in school.
Although the effects of witnessing domestic violence appear to diminish with time, they can continue through
adulthood. As adults, child witnesses may continue to suffer from depression and trauma-related symptoms. In addition,
while current theories view violence as a means of power and control and not entirely as learned behavior, studies show
that boys who witness domestic violence are more likely to batter as adults.
In Problems Associated with Childrens Witnessing of Domestic Violence (1999), Jeff Edleson, an expert on
children and domestic violence and batterers treatment programs, provides a more in-depth discussion of some of the
ways in which childrens health can be affected by witnessing domestic violence. Edleson reviews studies that report
behavioral, emotional, cognitive and long-term problems that are statistically associated with a childs witnessing of
domestic violence.
Second, research has also shown that there is a strong correlation between child abuse and domestic abuse. As
reported in the Toolkits chapter on children and domestic violence, recent national studies have shown that 50% of men
who frequently assault their wives also frequently assault their children. The Womens Rural Advocacy Programs
describes the following facts concerning child and spouse abuse in the United States: Children in homes where domestic
violence occurs are physically abused or seriously neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average in the
general population.
Lenore Walkers 1984 study found that mothers were 8 times more likely to hurt their children when they were
being battered than when they were safe from violence.
A major study of more than 900 children at battered women's shelters found that nearly 70% of the children were
themselves victims of physical abuse or neglect.
A 1998 literature review reported that between 45% and 70% of children who are exposed to domestic violence
are also victims of abuse, and that 40% of child victims of abuse are also exposed to domestic violence.
Third, children may be inadvertently hurt through domestic violence. They may be hit by items thrown by the batterer,
and older children, in particular, may be hurt trying to protect their mother.
Fourth, children are used by batterers to manipulate their victims. A batterer may threaten to take custody of or
kidnap the children if the victim reports the abuse; he may also threaten to harm or kill the children. He may also tell her
that she will lose custody if she seeks a divorce because she allowed the abuse to happen. He may even harm the

children in order to control the mother. During and after separation, batterers continue to use these tactics. Visitation and
joint custody provide the batterer with opportunities to abuse, threaten and intimidate their former partners.