Kornelia Tomaszewicz

While her classmates were learning one new letter per day in first grade, Macedonian Teona Sima was bored. Thanks to her older sister, she already knew how to read and write by the age of five or six. Her first-grade teachers and her parents agreed that she should skip first grade due to her advanced language skills. 

As a high school student in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, her dream was to make as many international friends as possible so she could have a home everywhere in the world. Unlike many others, Teona managed to turn her wish into reality. 

Today, at the age of 22, Teona speaks eight languages – Bulgarian, English, French, Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Serbian, and her native Macedonian. 

But with over 800,000 followers on Instagram, she’s better known as The Language Blondie on social media or the “influencing star” in North Macedonia. She creates reels about cultural insights and useful daily phrases in all of the languages she knows. 

“I can now proudly say that I have a home in Istanbul, Belgrade, Athens, Sofia, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Vilnius, Paris… There’s truly no better feeling than having friends that you can visit in many different countries,” says Teona. 

Although Teona had already mastered many languages, she used them only for communication. In 2022 during a summer basketball championship a Turkish referee noticed her speaking to others in different languages. Curious, he approached her and asked if it was true. When Teona confirmed it, he encouraged her to do more with her unique talent.

His words planted a seed of inspiration. Teona began to realize how special her ability truly was. This moment led her to a new idea: to combine her passions for video-making and language learning.

Just a year later, Teona crafted her own logo for her Instagram account – The Language Blondie. Her goal was to create content in all of the languages she knows, learn new expressions, teach others language tips, and to share advice and cultural insights with her followers. 

However, the polyglot does not subscribe to the idea that only those with an innate talent can learn foreign languages.

“It’s impossible to start learning a language and not feel overwhelmed by its difficulty and want to quit,” she says. 

Teona once believed she could never learn Greek because of its alphabet and difficult grammar, so she never tried. She later realized it wasn’t inability holding her back, but her own limiting beliefs. Determined to change this, she committed to learning despite setbacks and after two years she succeeded. 

“When you genuinely want to do something and do it with love, you will never really quit. You will just fail a couple of times and get right back to where you started,” Teona says. “So for anyone who believes they can’t learn a language and doesn’t do the work, I am telling you that you can’t learn the language only because you’re not doing the work!”

Teona had described herself as a “word forgetter” and a “grammar hater” on her 2025 TEDx talk in AUBG and told the audience that for her it never worked to learn a new language by diving into the grammar first. 

“It is by far the worst and most boring way to start learning any language,” she says during the talk. “My favorite way to learn a language is to listen to it all the time. I love listening to music and translating lyrics, as well as watching TV shows and YouTube videos in that language because it’s the easiest way to get your brain used to hearing it.” 

Which is why she started creating content with useful daily phrases in different languages while studying Psychology and Journalism at the American University in Bulgaria in Blagoevgrad.

“I definitely use the storytelling principles in my content creation work on social media. I also use my interviewing skills and psychology knowledge in my daily communication with people, so my majors turned out to be the most useful thing I could study!”

At first, she thought that nobody would watch her content besides her friends. Little did she know that only six months later she would have over 700,000 followers on Instagram, which led her to win the “Influencing Star” award in North Macedonia at a local contest. 

Since gaining popularity online, Teona says the biggest change is being recognized in public. “Those interactions are always so heartwarming,” she says, recalling a woman who once thanked her at the airport: “She made my entire week better, and I still think about her to this day.” 

She has also received funny messages like “Do you want an Indian boyfriend?” and experienced surreal moments such as when the famous American actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson commented on her posts or when she was contacted by America’s Got Talent in 2024.

Despite her success, Teona is most proud of inspiring others through her TEDx talk in AUBG. “I’ve never worked harder at something… so its success was extremely rewarding.” She credits her mother as her biggest inspiration, describing her as “a woman who can do it all.”

Learning languages rarely comes without a few funny moments and Teona has had her fair share. For example while living in Bulgaria she discovered that certain phrases can have completely different meanings in another language. 

“For example “ke te baram posle” means “I will call you later” (baram literally means “I search”)  in Macedonian, and apparently something you should never say in a room full of Bulgarians (I learned that the hard way). Also, “dechko” means a boyfriend in Macedonian, but “Imam dechko” in Bulgarian would mean “I have a little boy”, which is hilarious,” Teona said in an interview for sCOOL Media.

Looking ahead, she plans to reach a B2 level in her languages and apply for Master’s programs in psycholinguistics. 

“Languages are both my hobby and my job… it’s tough to draw the line,” she says, adding, “they will forever be my biggest love.”

By Katrin Radoslavova

One in three women worldwide has been a victim of online violence, and 85 % have witnessed such abuse directed at other women, according to research by The Economist. Though still a relatively new phenomenon, cyberbullying is already recognized in European law and in some cases can be classified as a crime. However, many incidents remain undocumented and unpunished, allowing room for escalation.

How Ordinary People Become Bullies

Online anonymity is a key factor enabling cyber violence, explains clinical psychologist Lili Pirova, who has more than 15 years of experience.

“Anonymity creates a sense of impunity. People can easily behave online in ways they would never do in real life,” she said.

According to Pirova, online aggression often stems from patterns learned in childhood. Behaviors modeled by adults can be internalized as ‘normal’ and later repeated toward others. Even those who have experienced violence themselves may end up reproducing the same patterns. 

“If a child grows up in an environment where aggression is normalized, they struggle to develop a critical perspective on such behavior and often carry it into adulthood,” she explained.

The online environment amplifies this mechanism: the lack of direct human contact and immediate social consequences allows suppressed emotions and anger to be released quickly and uncontrollably.

Why Women Are Targeted

Ani Torozova, head of the “Protection Zone” Child and Youth Advocacy Centre at the Animus Foundation, explains that the causes of online violence against women operate on multiple levels — historical, cultural, and social.

“Patriarchal models, religious beliefs, and centuries-old stereotypes portray women as weak and submissive. These attitudes continue to persist today, including online,” she said.

Torozova emphasises that there is no single profile of a cyberbully; aggressors can be found across all social groups. More commonly, however, they are individuals who grew up in violent households, have impulsive personalities with a need for dominance, or carry accumulated aggression.

“If the environment tolerates sexist jokes or aggression, it becomes normalized,” she added.

What Effective Prevention Looks Like

The Animus Foundation not only supports victims of violence but also works actively to limit the spread and normalization of aggression. Torozova stresses that prevention must happen on several fronts: within the family, at school, and in the wider community.

Within the family, key factors include the behavioral models, respect, and empathy that children observe and internalize. In schools, prevention is carried out through programs, discussions, and initiatives aimed at recognizing violence and developing skills for safe communication. Torozova also emphasizes that working directly with traumatized individuals is a form of prevention, as supportive environments and recovery reduce the risk of repeated violent behavior in the future.

On a societal level, awareness campaigns play a crucial role in shifting attitudes and fostering public dialogue on the topic. Effective prevention requires a combination of education, parenting support, social services, early intervention, and timely identification of problems.

Institutions also play a crucial role: enforcing laws against domestic and sexual violence, implementing rapid-response mechanisms, developing robust protection systems, and offering rehabilitation programs for offenders. Equally important is challenging cultural stereotypes through public dialogue and investing in mental health support to ensure accessible psychological care and timely preventive services.

International Initiatives for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Perpetrators of Violence

In the United Kingdom, efforts focus on preventing violence and supporting offenders to change their behavior. One national organization, Respect UK, offers a helpline for men who are prone to violence. Another remarkable initiative is The Forgiveness Project, which invites people to explore the complex question of forgiveness. Believing in the transformative power of stories, the organization works through an online library of stories, podcasts, educational resources, exhibitions, and prison programs where dialogue promotes awareness, forgiveness, and violence prevention. Similar goals are pursued by Project Restore in New  Zealand.

In Finland, the KiVa program focuses on prevention through education. Developed at the University of Turku with support from the Ministry of Education and Culture, KiVa offers a wide range of tools and resources for schools to address bullying. Preventive activities from the KiVa curriculum target all students and aim to stop bullying before it starts.

At the European level, the DeStalk project sets standards and brings together various national initiatives aimed at preventing violence and working with offenders.

Most European efforts today are still focused on traditional forms of violence. Meanwhile, cyberbullying continues to grow and remains difficult to identify, control, or sanction.

Anonymity, social stereotypes, and the lack of effective response mechanisms make the online environment a territory where aggression can easily thrive.

Limiting cyberbullying requires a combination of better education, stronger institutional tools, clear rules for digital platforms, and changes in cultural attitudes.

Digital spaces are an extension of real life, and fighting violence online is just as critical as in the real world.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

By Trayana Kaloyanova

In the summer of 2009, 14-year-old Rose Kalemba went for a walk in her small town in Ohio, USA. However, the stroll in a familiar neighborhood quickly took a drastic turn when a strange man emerged from the shadows. He threatened Rose with a knife and forced her into his car. 

Another man was waiting for them inside. The two men took Rose to a house on the opposite side of town, where they beat and raped her for hours while a third man filmed her torture. He showed the girl hundreds of videos of other women who had experienced the same thing.

Rose realized with horror that she was not the first and would hardly be the last victim. But instead of holding her back, her fear provided the strength to speak out. She convinced the men that if they let her go, she would not reveal their identities. 

Left on a random street, bleeding and bruised, Rose made her way home and told her family everything. Her father immediately called the police, but she was too terrified to identify her attackers. She later attempted suicide, but her brother intervened just in time.

Several months passed before Rose attempted to resume her normal life. But then some classmates sent her a link through the social network MySpace. It led to the pornographic platform PornHub, where the videos of her assault were posted and had already gathered over 400,000 views.

Rose’s classmates began to bully her constantly, forcing her to relive that trauma over and over again. Almost every day, the girl sent emails to PornHub, explaining that she was a minor and the victim of sexual assault.  

The videos continued to gain popularity, while her pleas went ignored. Desperate and out of options, Rose hatched an unconventional plan: she created a new email account, posing as a lawyer, and threatened PornHub with legal action. Only then were the videos removed, and Rose finally found the courage to report her attackers, who received suspended sentences.

At first glance, Rose’s story may appear to be over 15 years and an ocean away. 

Yet this is one of the first documented cases of pornographic content being distributed in order to harass and humiliate—a crime that is increasingly common in Bulgaria.

In most cases, the perpetrators are men seeking revenge after a relationship ends—so-called ‘revenge porn’—while the victims are girls and young women who once trusted them. Such crimes often go unreported due to shame and societal insensitivity.

According to research by UN Women, over 50% of women aged 18 and above in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have experienced online violence, predominantly of a sexual nature.

Every second girl between 15 and 25 worldwide has been subjected to aggressive behavior and online threats at least once in her life, and most are only 14 years old when it first happens to them.

“I still have your pictures”

 Sibylla is among thousands of women and girls affected by this problem.

Although she is now a young adult, she admits that between the ages of 11 and 14, she maintained contact via Instagram and Messenger with several men, to whom she sent intimate photos of herself. 

“When I was 12, I was texting a guy. He claimed to be 18, but he looked closer to 30, and I think he was from India. He kept pressuring me to send [photos], and when I refused, he threatened to kill himself,” Sibylla told sCOOL Media.

Over time, Sibylla lost contact with the man. Then after five years had passed, he reached out to her again.

“I opened my phone and saw my 12-year-old self. He had sent the photo back, writing something like, ‘I still have your pictures’, with a smiley emoji,” Sibylla recalled.

She asked him to delete the images but received no response. Sibylla suspects he did not send the photos only to her but also shared them with others in a closed Telegram group called “The Boys”.

All of this leaves Sibylla in a constant state of fear that someone might recognize her if they gain access to her photos.

“One day after gym class, all the boys in my class had gathered around a phone. I went over to see what they were looking at,” Sibylla told us.

On the screen she saw a clip of a naked young girl. 

“I remember just freezing—I thought at first that it was me.” The girl, it turns out, was a classmate of Sibylla’s, and the video quickly spread throughout the school. The bullying she faced escalated fast, turning from verbal harassment into physical abuse.

“Guys would go up to her and touch her. I think because of the video, they assumed she liked it. I felt really bad for her, but at the same time, I was relieved it wasn’t me,” Sibylla said.

Later, she learned that her classmate’s ex-boyfriend had initially sent the video to “The Boys”, and then another boy from their school shared it via Messenger. Because Sibylla’s face does not appear in the intimate photos of her, she has been spared the same fate of public humiliation.

“It’s one thing to do something like that to a stranger on the other side of the world, and quite another to someone you’ve been in a relationship with for three years. I don’t know how people like that sleep at night,” reflected Sibylla.

Is there any control against abuse on social media?

More than a decade separates the stories of Rose and Sibylla, yet the only visible change is the online space that enables such crimes. The migration of sexual harassment online—from pornographic platforms like OnlyFans and PornHub to social networks such as Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook—is far from accidental.

In 2020, PornHub was forced to remove over 70 million videos uploaded by unverified accounts due to concerns over their legality. This action followed allegations from dozens of women and girls against the site, as well as the decision by Visa and Mastercard to block payments to the platform.

Since then, content uploaded on OnlyFans and PornHub has been subject to stricter controls. Only verified accounts with ID verification can upload material, and it must be confirmed that all participants in the videos are of legal age.

Uploads are scanned and sorted using artificial intelligence (AI) and reviewed by human moderators. If illegal content is detected, the videos or photos are removed, and the account is terminated. Depending on the severity of the offense, the platforms may also alert law enforcement.

Controls on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram are more limited. These platforms rely on AI scanning and user reports. The same applies to Messenger, except for so-called “secret chats”. Such chats, like conversations on other messaging apps such as WhatsApp, cannot be scanned and can only be reported.

However, the most unreliable app when it comes to user safety is Telegram. It is known for offering the highest level of privacy for its users. For this reason, reports are the only way to control illegal content.

Unfortunately, this mechanism is extremely unreliable because reports against “secret chats” cannot be reviewed. The same applies to reports against private chats before October 2024, when Telegram’s privacy policy was changed.

Reports are typically reviewed within an average of two days—a period during which someone’s intimate photos could be shared countless times.

Once a violation has been detected, the content on Telegram gets removed, and the offender’s account is either restricted or fully deleted, along with the group or chat used. If the photos or videos involve a child or are related to rape or threats, the user is supposed to be reported to the local authorities.

What does the law say?

But what should we do if the authorities are not notified, or if our case does not meet any of the criteria?

In Bulgaria, there is no specific law related to “revenge porn”, but the production and distribution of pornography are explicitly prohibited in the country.

If such materials are shared via social networks or websites, the perpetrator can face up to two years in prison and a fine of 500 to 1,500 euros. In the absence of financial damages or other mitigating circumstances, the sentence may be suspended or replaced with an administrative penalty or probation.

Heavier penalties apply for distributing pornographic materials involving persons under 16 years of age. In such cases, the sentence can reach up to six years in prison and a fine of up to 2,500 euros.

The same punishment applies if a minor was involved in the creation of pornographic content, if someone appears to be or has been made to appear as a minor, or if a person does not understand the significance or purpose of the act.

If the photos were taken without the victim’s explicit consent, or if images have been distributed in which the victim can be easily identified, the law provides for imprisonment of one to three years or a fine of up to 5,000 euros.

In cases like Sibylla’s, where the crime was most likely committed from a country outside the European Union, it is best to report the incident to the platform where the images were shared, due to differences in legislation between countries.

Each case is unique, however, so consulting a lawyer is recommended. Survivors of online violence can also contact the national legal aid hotline: 070 01 82 50.

While it is impossible to reduce the number of victims of these crimes to zero, stricter moderation on social networks and legislative amendments could change the story for girls like Rose and Sibylla.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

By Simona Sakarova

“Dumb b*tch! Without you, it’s better.”

Sometimes 16-year-old Victoria* hears this insult behind her back at school. These words were not chosen randomly — they’re from the lyrics of the song “Mahlenska Chalga” by Bulgarian singer Marso.

“There were days when I just didn’t want to go to school,” Victoria tells sCOOL Media. She adds that there have been other times when boys at school called her names that were clearly from songs.

“It was funny for them, but it was humiliating for me,” she says.

Music has always been an important part of teenagers’ lives. For many, performers become major role models and show them a way to express themselves.

But many lyrics of songs that are popular among teenagers right now contain overtly sexist messages.

Women as “pleasure machines”

A brand new example is the song “My Perfume Makes You Wanna F*ck?” by Dimoff and Young BB Young, whose video has garnered over 1 million views on YouTube in just two months. It features the line “You’re the last card in the deck I need.” In another song by Dimoff, “Greasy”, which has been viewed over 5.4 million times, he sings “I c*m in her mouth and drip all over it like ice cream.”

Even more sexist lyrics by rappers MBT and Marso can be pointed out. “Mahlensksa Chalga” has over 5.6 million views, and part of it goes: “Dumb b*tch comes asking, ‘Can I sit with you?’ ‘Course not! Without you, it’s better!”

This is from “Chanel”, listened to more than 2.6 million times: “I love it when she’s drowning under me and I’m yanking her hair. (…) I’m gonna buy you Chanel, but you know I don’t love you.”

In “Bought and Sold”, the lyrics read: “I’m the one who unleashed the devil in her, and I’ll teach her to be obedient.” This song has nearly 3 million views on YouTube. “Stolen”, viewed 3.8 million times, insists: “I’ll b*ng her, you pay for the implants”, while “Nothin’s Gonna Happen”, which has 3.4 million views, proclaims: “We don’t turn wh*res away here. We turn them into cash machines.”

Marso’s collaborations with singer Bilyanish, like the song “Cash”, viewed over 6.2 million times, even feature lines like: “I’ll make you fall in love and be my slave.” In other joint projects, such as “Ecstasy” by Marso, Bobkata and Kotenceto, the woman is described as being “tied on a leash”. A few basic themes are repeated in these songs. Women are presented as objects or “pleasure machines”, men are masters who control them, and relationships are described as a struggle for power, instead of being based on trust and respect.

What effect do these lyrics have on people?

When people listen to these songs over and over, they start to accept these things as normal. Psychologist Ani Vladimirova describes this effect with the metaphor of the “boiled frog”, which illustrates how people can accept gradual but destructive changes and situations until they become too tired to react — much like a frog who slowly boils itself without realizing the danger while sitting in the water as it gets hotter and hotter.

Words like “wh*re,” “c*nt” or “b*tch” are a constant element in these songs. They not only demean and insult women, they normalize the idea that it is acceptable to talk about them in such ways. When teenagers get used to this language, they start using it in their everyday lives. This is how music can promote toxic relationships, making young people think that they are acceptable and even idealistic.

Alexander* is a teenager who likes to listen to MBT, Marso, Bilyanish and Murda Boyz (Marso and another rapper, Bobby), mostly because of their energetic trap beats. “The beat puts me in a good mood. The lyrics are sometimes rough, but I don’t take them seriously,” he tells sCOOL Media. He admits that he hasn’t thought much about how the songs sound to girls until now.

“It’s more of a joke for us, but I understand now that some of the words can be really offensive and hurt others,” he says, adding,“Some boys, especially younger ones, could be influenced by this music, and that can have an impact on their thinking and actions.”

Ultimately, Alexander admits that while the music is fun for him to listen to, awareness about this influence is making him look at the lyrics more carefully. “I think it’s important for artists to know how their words are perceived, because they can inspire or hurt.”

Many teenage girls feel exactly the same effect after hearing such songs. Victoria says that because of the insults she received that came from song lyrics, she avoided wearing shorter or more revealing clothes, expecting further comments.

“I can’t believe that the words from music can make people around me behave so disgustingly,” she says. She doesn’t see this problem as anything new, but rather related to the Balkan genre called pop-folk which preaches the same ideals as modern rap music and influences relationships between girls and boys.

sCOOL Media sent questions to some of the rap performers to find out what they think about these effects from their music, but we received no reply from any of them.

According to Vladimirova, “imitation of role models in adolescence is directly related to the construction of identity.” The personas of “successful” and “well-liked” people are what drive young people’s imitation in order to be accepted by their peers. Social networks enhance this effect by creating the illusion of closeness and accessibility.

The “dominant male” model is particularly prevalent — ​​the image of a man as stronger and more powerful, the one who should take command and have supremacy over others, she explains. In this context, “appearance and sexual attractiveness become the most significant criteria for value, and this opens the door to behavior that supports only them.”

The psychologist emphasizes that such influence breaks down the fragile identity of teenagers and fosters doubts about their own worth. In the long run, this leads to suspicion about their partners’ sincerity and to problematic relationships.

“We have plenty of examples of tolerating violence in such a relationship. The process is two-sided, with an aggressor and a victim. Moreover, these models are also carried over from the world of significant adults in the lives of children.”

Is there a solution?

The psychologist notes that music, films, etc. will always influence teenagers’ attempts at self-expression and finding themselves. Therefore, critical thinking and the development of healthy values ​​must start at an early age. Otherwise, we will observe “unhealthy relationships, toxic attitudes and subsequent mental problems”.

The long-term effects include dehumanization and lack of empathy in society. At the same time, this is a vicious circle — the fact that society already suffers from a lack of empathy contributes to the normalization of such songs. Ani Vladimirova emphasizes, however, that this type of music is not the only cause, but a secondary effect of the same dehumanization, the roots of which are complex and multi-layered.

There is no one ready-made solution, but there are ways forward. Critical thinking and empathy can be developed at school through lessons and conversations that help young people recognize hidden messages in music and on social media.

An important role is also played by parents, whose example-setting and willingness to speak openly can create a solid foundation for attitudes towards others. The most significant factor is communication: when these topics are discussed together in a real dialogue, it becomes easier for teens to establish their own viewpoints, rather than accept pre-fabricated ideas that humiliate or belittle people.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

By Elena Dimitrova

Online violence is no longer a novel concept, but it remains under-recognized in Bulgaria. It is far less often prosecuted by law, which is quite incomprehensible to victims’ relatives. For many girls and women, digital bullying is more than “unpleasant messaging”; it is a means for them to be controlled and live in fear.

In 2023, nearly 46,000 reports of online violence against children were submitted to the Bulgarian Safer Internet Center. They mainly involved girls between the ages of 10 and 14.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2024, one in six children in our country has been a victim of online bullying. Bulgaria also came in first place in terms of the number of reports submitted to the International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) network for the past year.

For institutions, the topic is still partially invisible, especially if a case doesn’t involve direct threats or the distribution of intimate materials. Therefore, the first line of support is often non-governmental organizations, which not only respond but also help with the long-term recovery of victims.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a type of harassment that occurs online — on social networks and online platforms. It can be expressed in the distribution of photos, sending offensive messages or threats, and more.

However, online bullying is often not isolated, occurring in parallel with face-to-face harassment.

“For example, a woman who is already a victim of physical or psychological violence by a partner may be blackmailed into sharing her intimate photos. This is not just a threat, but a mechanism for maintaining fear and submission,” the Animus Association Foundation, which maintains a hotline for victims of domestic violence, told sCOOL Media.

The consequences can be severe, from anxiety and depression to social withdrawal and self-harm. Sometimes the biggest challenge for victims is not stopping the harassment but regaining control of their lives — returning to school or work or simply not being afraid to use their phone.

In the digital environment, some platforms pose a particularly high risk to children and adolescents, especially girls. Telegram, for example, has established itself as one of the most problematic online spaces. There, hundreds of thousands of cases where sexually exploitative content of children was distributed have been identified in recent years.

But the risk is not limited to this platform alone. Fake profiles created by adults with criminal intent can be found on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Messenger and Discord, where perpetrators pose as victims’ peers in order to gain their trust.

A worrying recent trend is the increasingly young girls who create profiles on platforms such as OnlyFans, an online network for paid, often intimate content. This exposes children at a young age to serious risks of sexual exploitation.

What about online harassment reports?

The National Network for Children (NNC), an umbrella organization for the protection of children’s rights, is actively engaged in combating online harassment against girls.

They told sCOOL Media that reports of violence are distributed to the safenet.bg hotline and consultation service. These are managed by experts and volunteers who provide support to child victims. They process the reports and, if necessary, send them to the cybercrime division of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

When they receive a report, Animus specialists work in three parallel directions — psychological support, legal consultation and reporting to institutions such as the GDCOC, agencies for social assistance and the police. Although the content often cannot be removed immediately, in some cases the reactions are quick and effective.

“We have real cases where the perpetrator has been identified and sanctioned. But the greatest success is not in the courtroom, but when a woman begins to communicate freely and not be afraid again,” Animus adds.

Systemic gaps

According to these two NGOs, the main obstacles to addressing online violence are:

• the slow reaction of institutions;
• the lack of a clear regulation for removing content that constitutes harassment;
• insufficient coordination between the MoI, prosecutors and social services;
• shame and fear among victims, who often do not seek help out of concern about how they will be received.

“The most difficult thing is that technologies are developing much faster than legislation, the state or institutions can react. New applications, new forms of violence and fraud appear literally every month,” Georgi Elenkov, Director of Children’s Policies at the NNC, tells sCOOL Media. 

“There is immense distrust among children about whether institutions will listen to them, understand them or protect them effectively. Often families and schools are not prepared to face the problem, and sometimes children themselves are even blamed. This makes the work of prevention and support even more complicated.”

sCOOL Media sent questions on the topic to the Ministry of Justice, the MoI and the cybercrime division at the GDCOC. By the time the editorial work on this article was completed, we had not received any answers.

The solution

Without changes at the institutional level or the development of a long-term strategy, online bullying against young girls is a problem that cannot be solved permanently.

Until then, NNC specialists are advocating for much-needed family support. They want to remind children that victims of online bullying are not to blame.

“The responsibility always lies with the person doing the bullying. Don’t let the problem remain only with you — tell a parent, teacher or friend and immediately report it to safenet.bg,” the organization advises.

As next steps, Georgi Elenkov outlines:

“Keep evidence, such as screenshots of photos and chats, which will help institutions counteract violence. And know that you can get help, even when you’re feeling scared or desperate, support is only a chat away. Prevention is not a one-and-done initiative; it requires constant dialogue, and girls have to know that there is always someone to support them.”

Online violence against women and girls is not a “virtual problem”. It is real violence with real consequences. There is still no clear, working protection system in Bulgaria.

But NGOs like Animus and the NNC are filling the systemic gaps left by the state every day. And while cases of online harassment continue to increase, they are the voice and support for those who are still wondering whether anyone will hear them.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

By Natalie Petrova

Online spaces are where teens can communicate, learn and find entertainment. But sometimes they become a platform for pressure, manipulation and fear. This is a true story that happened very recently in a Bulgarian school.

How did it all begin?

“My daughter was only 13 when she started texting a boy on Instagram. He was older, in ninth grade. She thought it was romantic at first — they texted every day, shared secrets. But at one point he asked for something that shocked her — he demanded naked photos,” says Veronika, Alexandra’s mother (names have been changed).

The girl refused, but she sent him photos in a swimsuit anyway. Soon after, the threats began: “If you don’t have sex with me, I’m going to send your photos to everyone at school.” Despite her fear, Alexandra showed courage and blocked the boy. But the photos were now beyond her control. They started getting shared in chats between students.

“A younger girl made a collage of the photos and fabricated a price list for sexual services. It was already a nightmare. Not only for my daughter, but for all of us as a family,” the mother says.

Teachers, the police and child protection were involved in the case. An investigation was launched, and the parents insisted that their daughter receive psychological support. “She refused to leave the house. She was afraid that someone was lying in wait for her. As parents, we were powerless and looked everywhere for help,” says Veronika.

The case did not remain hidden for long. After the photos began to circulate, another incident occurred at the school which coincidentally revealed this story as well. The teachers alerted parents, then the police.

“We went through everything — meetings with the school administration, conversations in the specialized room for children [at the police station] and with child protection. We gave statements to the police. It was important for this not to be swept under the rug,” says the mother.

The investigation found that the boy had distributed the swimsuit photos but had not participated in making the offensive collage. The girl who was guilty of this turned out to have done similar things before. All the evidence was handed over to the prosecutor’s office, but since the photos were not nude, the case was not classified as a crime.

“I received a letter that the act was not considered a crime in the legal sense. But for us as parents, it was a crime — against the dignity of my daughter,” she told us.

Rather than criminal proceedings, corrective educational measures were imposed on the children, including mandatory visits to the specialized room for children during the summer, as well as consultations with a psychologist. The school, in turn, gave them disciplinary sanctions: the students were obliged to attend psychotherapy sessions.

Alexandra’s story shows that even when institutions intervene, the process can be slow and there are loopholes in the law. In order to understand what the real consequences are for children and ways we can protect them, we consulted with specialists.

“Such situations in children aged 12–13 are extremely sensitive, because at this age they’re still establishing a personality and system of values,” says Milena Slavkova, a psychologist at the Regional Center for Support of the Inclusive Education Process, Sofia Region.

Children may feel shame, guilt and fear. They can socially withdraw, carrying the risk of long-term effects on their self-esteem and relationships. Therefore, it’s important to receive family support, work with specialists to restore self-esteem and build trusting relationships with parents. In parallel, kids should be directed towards healthy expression and ways to gain affirmation, not by displaying their bodies but through personal qualities and skills.

“Parents should actively monitor and manage access to social networks to prevent repeated risky situations,” Slavkova commented.

According to psychologists, children often feel fear and guilt even when they have done nothing wrong. The most important thing is to feel supported and understood, and parents should be the first people children turn to.

“The response should be comprehensive — from the school, parents and psychological support,” explains Inspector Stoyan Ivanov, who works in one of the specialized rooms for children. He believes that the law does not adequately address cases involving swimsuit photos like this one, but educational policies and rules set out by schools can limit such images being spread as well as protect other children.

The police officer emphasizes that this story exemplifies how vulnerable children are online. Since prevention is key, Inspector Ivanov offers some tips for staying safe on the Internet.

Kids:

• Never send intimate or nude photos; 
• If someone threatens you, immediately share this with an adult you trust; 
• Keep a record for evidence — photos, chats, screenshots; 
• Block and report the profile.

Parents:

• Talk openly about online risks, not by scaring your kids and without belittling them; 
• Build trust so that children can share without fear of punishment; 
• Monitor their behavior — mood swings, isolation and anxiety can signify a problem; 
• Seek psychological help at the first signs of trauma.

Where to seek help:

• National Children’s Hotline – 116 111;
• Police – Cybercrime Sector;
• State Agency for Child Protection;
• Psychological centers and NGOs working with youth.

 
Alexandra’s is not an isolated case. It shows that children are vulnerable on the Internet, and talking to parents and getting support from schools and institutions are the key to prevention. “I want my story to help other parents stay close to their children and not underestimate the dangers of the Internet,” says Veronika. Talking, listening and being there for them is the best protection.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

By Ivet Atanasova

Closed groups for gossip, anonymous messages and unconfirmed rumors, presented with extreme malice and cynicism. This is the latest trend among young people on social networks: closed pages on Instagram or public ones on TikTok.

There, the ones who don’t fit in are humiliated, called names and publicly condemned. They pay the price of others’ cruelty. One local example is an Instagram page labeled “klukite_na_silistra” [“Silistra gossip”].

At first glance, it seems like a profile or hashtag like any other. In reality, however, communities are formed behind people’s screens, where insults are exchanged as currency and slander becomes the main content.

The rules are clear — you can say and write anything, as long as it remains within the framework of the page. Access is limited, publications are visible only to approved followers, and information is spread at lightning speed, without the possibility of control from the outside. It is this isolation that makes such groups so dangerous: they operate under the radar of institutions, and there is no easy means to protect those affected.

In the virtual darkness, petty conflicts easily escalate. Someone posts a humiliating joke. Mocking comments and shares follow. Thus, personal disputes become a public spectacle that can have serious consequences for the young people affected.

sCOOL Media managed to enter a local gossip group known as klukite_na_silistra and talk to a girl who was the subject of posts there.

“Their words can ruin a person’s life”

Nicole* is 16 years old and a tenth grader. She learned about the student gossip pages last year. From the very beginning, she couldn’t accept the aggressive tone of the posts there, often exposing personal dramas.

One day, however, she received a message from a close friend with a link to a post on klukite_na_silistra, this time directed at Nicole herself. The post was offensive, the language was mocking and cynical, and its author was unknown. However, she has her suspicions about who was behind the post.

“This girl and I had been friends since seventh grade, but we had a fight. Then the attacks and verbal harassment began — she and her group were talking about me loudly during class, loud enough for me to hear. They called me ugly names, humiliated me in front of the others,” Nicole tells sCOOL Media.

A year later, the tension spilled over online with the offensive post on the Silistra gossip page. Reactions in the comments section were mixed, with most people taking Nicole’s side and defending her. This was the first moment when she didn’t feel completely alone against the hostility.

Then she sought out support — she talked to the principal, her parents, the mother of the other student and their class teacher. The adults’ intervention stopped the overt insults. But the problem didn’t disappear; it was simply redirected.

“When the attacks against me decreased, that aggression moved towards my friends. The girl continued to spread gossip on the page about my classmates and even teachers,” says Nicole.

“It is very ugly, but it is not the ugliest thing I have heard. Unfortunately, this is starting to become a common practice — seeking revenge or attention through social networks, sometimes for trivial reasons,” says Diana Hristova from the local commission for combating antisocial behavior of minors and juveniles at the Silistra Municipality, speaking about Nicole’s case.

“People hide behind the screen and feel too emboldened by that. They don’t realize that their words can destroy someone, a person’s life. Sometimes this escalates into systematic harassment that lasts for weeks or months,” she adds.

What are gossip pages good for?

In early February 2024, Zlatin* decided to create his own gossip page, inspired by an already popular one on Instagram, also related to the city of Silistra. In order to gain followers, he began following local students and gaining their trust.

The students responded in kind and gradually joined the group. As the creator, Zlatin’s identity remained a secret to all users. In just the first week, the page gathered nearly 100 followers. Messages to Zlatin came in one after another: “On average, I received about 30 items of gossip per week,” he told sCOOL Media.

“There was always a risk of whether the information was true. But the people writing in weren’t anonymous, so I knew who was behind the words. That way I could decide to publish them or not,” he shares.

The age of his followers ranged from fifth graders to high school seniors. Gradually, however, the initial enthusiasm waned, and after months of working behind the scenes, Zlatin decided to give up.

“I lost interest. In general, I don’t see any positives from these groups — there are only negatives,” he admits. And he adds:

“It was very sad to see how close friends started writing disgusting things behind each other’s backs. And I got disappointed when I read something rude — I even refused to upload it.”

How to react

“Unfortunately, there is no proven method for dealing with and preventing such harassment,” explains Nuray Osman, a psychologist at the St. Kliment Ohridski Primary and Secondary Education Center in the city of Silistra. According to her, summits can be held, cases can be discussed with students, and they can be trained in how to react, including by contacting teachers, specialists or emergency hotlines.

“The problem is that many of these groups are closed. This makes it difficult to react in a timely manner and leaves victims vulnerable, because the aggressors operate in an environment where there is no control or supervision,” Osman says.

According to experts, this problem does not depend only on the family. Bullies can appear both among children in families where domestic violence is present and among those with high social standing and exemplary parents. The decisive influence is often the surrounding environment — ​​neighbors, friends or classmates who support and encourage aggressive behavior. Therefore, although schools are actively working to prevent bullying, the possibility of timely intervention remains limited.

“It’s like giving a small child a knife or a gun and expecting them to learn to protect themselves. Impossible,” says Iskra Yordanova, a high school teacher and mother of a 14-year-old girl.

Although her relationship with her daughter is close, she admits that she sometimes doubts whether her daughter would mention it if something had been shared about her on social media. According to Yordanova, it is this fear that children will keep quiet even when they’re being hurt that makes virtual dangers so difficult for parents to manage.

To protect her, she limits her daughter’s access to mobile devices through special parental control apps. She explains that this is not distrust, but an attempt to establish a boundary in a world where risks are not always visible.

“I think I was even late in setting these rules. I myself didn’t have a phone at her age, and this deprived me of an experience that would be useful to me right now. In a sense, I have felt unprepared as a parent, as children are growing up in a world that is changing much faster than we are able to comprehend,” Yordanova admits.

She thinks the most difficult thing is the balance between wanting to provide freedom and trust and constant fears about the online space becoming a trap. She believes that any restrictions must go hand in hand with conversations and trust. After all, neither one nor the other separately is enough to protect teenagers from the dangers of social networks.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

By Borislava Popova

A consciousness capable of suppressing a primal human instinct. A successful lady who has long since achieved her ideal beauty standards. And a 12-year-old girl just crossing the threshold of her own femininity.

What do these three have in common? It lies somewhere between a little screen and the vast chasm of social media. It’s a perfect world which welcomes you only if you’re flawless. Or at least if your body is flawless.

“When I get hungry, it’s never time to eat. I always drink water.”

This is one of the many pieces of advice from the so-called “fitness influencers” that 15-year-old Alexandra* used to follow online. Every day, she would wake up with the dream of a certain number on the scale and make the decision to starve herself until she achieved it. And she was ready to go “all the way” to do so, without limits.

“That was my outlet. It felt like there were people out there like me, who understood me,” Alexandra tells sCOOL Media.

Now 16 years old, that period of her life is behind her. Yet the scars of those long months when she was living with an obsession over ​​the perfect body, as seen on TikTok and Instagram, remain — having neglected her own health to the point of developing anorexia.

Social media content like this has encouraged Alexandra and thousands of other girls like her to feel both pressure and longing for a version of unattainable perfection, expressed in an unhealthily thin body. For some, this perfection may be achievable, even realistic. But it always comes at the cost of your own health.

#SkinnyTok or hunger as a way of life

According to statistics, Bulgaria ranks sixth in the world in terms of time spent on TikTok for 2024, overtaking even the USA. 97% of young people in the world between the ages of 13 and 18 are active users of the platform.

These results reveal far more, however. They illustrate the daily lives of thousands of teenage girls who are still gaining a sense of their own self-esteem. Behind the numbers lie human lives beyond the digital space.

For 16-year-old Kalina,* it all started when she was just 12 and would spend entire days glued to social networks. Before long, she came across videos like “What I Eat in a Day” and “Beach Body in Just 20 Days” with thousands of views and comments.

The videos vary in content and start gaining popularity minutes after being uploaded. What unites them is #SkinnyTok: the hashtag representing a community in which young girls share videos with diet plans, tips for “quick weight loss” and the “perfect body” on a daily basis.

According to Proletina Ilcheva, an expert from the Bulgarian Safer Internet Center, “the lack of transparency in these videos gradually instills lifestyle dissatisfaction among girls”.

“Little by little, with each subsequent video, I began believing that I wasn’t good enough and that I had to change in order to measure up,” Kalina says.

She became increasingly convinced that the ideal femininity she sought was only possible if her body was extremely thin. Weight was no longer just a number in her mind; it was an indicator of her own value. For the 12-year-old girl, hunger was also an attempt to fit in:

“I was looking for approval, to be recognized as a worthy human because of my appearance,” says Kalina.

This echoes Alexandra’s words: “It felt like there were people out there like me, who understood me.” For her, the phone was a source of comfort and refuge from loneliness.

But what exactly is this virtual refuge?

#SkinnyTok is gradually becoming a global phenomenon. On TikTok, hashtags like #WhatIEatInADay and #BeachBody have over 15 billion views.

While this trend may be perceived in Bulgaria as some kind of distant phenomenon, in reality that isn’t the case.

A user logging onto TikTok in Bulgaria can immediately view a series of videos using easily understood language by foreign influencers as well as Bulgarian ones. For example, one post advises us to systematically reduce our calorie intake until we start losing weight.

In foreign-language posts, common messages include “Do you need a treat? What are you — a dog?” and “What you eat in private will be revealed in public.”

“These videos worked as motivation to keep depriving my body of food. They helped me normalize hunger,” Kalina says.

“Social networks instill the distorted idea that being thin leads to a higher social status,” adds Proletina Ilcheva.

Proof of this is the fact that most comments on such videos are complimenting their creators.

“I used to read the comments every day. Everyone was writing things like ‘You have an amazing body, how did you do it?’ So I thought that meant I was doing the right thing,” recalls Alexandra.

Now she calls it “spiralling” when people watch a lot of these videos. Experts researching Bulgarian online spaces have reached the same conclusion, too. Even when it’s a conscious choice, ignoring this type of content is hard to do.

“The very structure of social networks supports the rapid spread of such unrealistic ideas through personalization algorithms. They can increase how much content on extreme diets or distorted body image is displayed, especially following initial interactions with these videos. If you watch even one video with dieting content, you’ll soon be flooded with an avalanche of similar videos,” Stella Bileva, a clinical psychologist at the Animus Association, tells sCOOL Media.

The danger often remains hidden

But if we were to ask the average teenage girl about this danger, she might simply not believe it exists.

“This lifestyle is presented in such an unrealistic way that it’s impossible to realize how unhealthy it is. The word hunger is never mentioned; they call it discipline, self-improvement,” Kalina points out.

This framing makes the problem even more difficult to grasp. The line between healthy lifestyles and eating disorders gets completely blurred, and hunger is disguised as “willpower” and “self-actualization”.

When she noticed that her favorite jeans had become baggy, Alexandra didn’t feel ashamed or think she needed help. Quite the opposite:

“I felt terribly alone, but I believed that since I was able to push down that basic human instinct, it made me better than everyone else. Social media influenced me in this direction,” she says.

The central message being shared every day by psychologists, doctors, and specialists is “It’s okay to ask for help.”

But help is only possible when both parties recognize the need for it. When what’s happening to you is stigmatized, it isn’t easy to seek support.

“There is stigma when it comes to people experiencing an eating disorder,” shares the Bulgarian Safer Internet Center.

According to a U.S. study from 2024, 64% of people with increased symptoms of eating disorders refuse to seek help. The reasons behind this are fear of disapproval and feelings of guilt. An identical trend is present in Bulgaria.

“In Bulgarian society, concepts like depression, anxiety and eating disorders have become taboo topics,” says Kalina.

“I knew there were girls who were starving themselves, but I never imagined that it could happen to me. In Bulgaria, we think that it’s strange if you do it,” adds Alexandra.

As far as sharing about these problems with loved ones, one thing is clear: nobody asked if anything was wrong.

The way back

“I’m no longer the same person. Something in me died.”

With these words, Alexandra begins telling another story. A year on, she looks the same as before; in reality, nothing is the same. She shares that the battle to find your way back to yourself lasts “forever”, forcing you to realize that hunger doesn’t exist in a vacuum but is also connected to other problems.

“Eating disorders are a symptom of a deeper internal conflict and often reflect severe psychological and emotional distress,” confirms psychologist Stella Bileva.

“Usually, they are caused by a combination of low self-esteem, a seeming lack of control and past trauma. They are usually combined with other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, which reinforce each other and make things worse,” Bileva adds.

According to her, eating disorders turn into a way for many people to exercise control when they feel powerless. And while Alexandra believes her condition is incurable, the therapist puts it plainly: healing is possible.

“It’s important for girls to know that there is a way out — an eating disorder isn’t a sentence, but a condition that can be overcome,” says Bileva.

However, no one-size-fits-all solution works: “Although the problem may seem the same, the reasons for each person are different. That’s why the words people need to hear when they’re going through an eating disorder aren’t universal,” she explains, advising that condemnation and comments about a person’s body such as “you look like a skeleton” should be avoided. It’s better to open up a dialogue with calm intonation and words like: “I’ve been noticing that you’re often worried. What’s going on? Tell me about it.”

As Bileva puts it, an eating disorder is “a disease of the entire family environment”, and the behavior of parents has a key influencing role.

“In the family, change starts with the language and atmosphere at home. It’s important for parents to avoid stigmatizing comments about one’s body. The family is also the first place where worrying signs can be noticed, in which case it’s important to seek professional help in a timely manner,” she emphasizes.

But despite every girl being different, finding the way back for each of them requires the same thing: professional assistance.

“The sooner a psychologist and psychiatrist get involved, the greater the chance of recovery,” says Bileva.

In a world that has elevated perfection to a pedestal, two girls put their health at risk chasing it. They managed to get closer through videos, images, and advice promising instant results. But they lost themselves along the way.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. You don’t just lose weight, you lose yourself,” says Alexandra.

Today, she and Kalina are 16 years old. Having lost their self esteem once, they’re choosing to rebuild it again.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

Funded under the project “Youth Against Disinformation” of the OPEN SPACE Foundation (OSF), implemented in partnership with the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria), with the support of the British Council in Bulgaria. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, or the British Council in Bulgaria. Neither OSF, AEJ-Bulgaria, nor the British Council in Bulgaria can be held responsible for them.

This article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse, gender-based violence, and cruelty to animals. A list of organizations supporting women’s rights and protection from violence in both countries is provided at the end.

By Alexandra Bora and Elina Genova

Adelina, a 17-year-old Bulgarian girl, carries a harrowing story of lifelong violence. “Kicking, throwing, slapping, punching, hair-pulling, bruises, belt strikes, being kicked out of the house” — these are the stark words she uses to describe her childhood. Her father’s aggression was relentless, targeting not just her but her sister and mother, from whom he is now divorced.

Despite the divorce, he remains obsessed with his ex-wife, continuing a cycle of psychological and physical abuse. During Adelina’s early years, her father’s cruelty knew no bounds — killing her hamster, throwing her sister onto a parked car, threatening to break her dog’s neck. “That really affected me mentally,” she says, revealing years of nightmares and sleep problems that drove her to use sedatives.

Though the immediate situation has improved, her father continues to stalk the family, making constant threatening calls. In one particularly terrifying incident, he called her sister claiming he had killed Adelina and their mother after his ex-wife didn’t answer her phone. “I’m already scared,” Adelina says. “This is like a horror movie. It’s getting out of control. I don’t know if something fatal might happen one night.”

In neighboring Romania, Maria’s childhood was marked by her mother’s increasingly destructive behavior, a pattern she initially struggled to recognize. “Things got worse around the age of 12 when my parents separated. That was the worst period, though the abuse had been happening even before that,” she says. What began as emotional abuse gradually escalated to physical violence. There were nights she would be kicked out of the house, only to be reluctantly let back in hours later. Minor inconveniences would trigger slapping or beating. While these physical incidents were sporadic, the emotional abuse — constant insults and verbal attacks — remained a consistent, suffocating presence in her life.

Adelina and Maria’s stories mirror the painful experiences of many girls who have suffered domestic or any other kind of abuse. In Bulgaria and Romania, teenage girls face widespread violence, yet systemic failures often leave them without protection or justice. Legal shortcomings, underfunded support services, and lingering stigma make it difficult for survivors to seek help. Despite growing activism, real change remains slow, as too many girls still suffer in silence.

Widespread Violence

In Romania, 42% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15, while the percentage in Bulgaria is 28, according to 2024 statistics provided by the European Institute for Gender Equaility. 48% of Bulgarian women who have experienced physical or sexual violence by any perpetrator in the past 12 months have not told anyone, while the figure in Romania is 34%.

In a recent report, UNICEF states that “violence against women and girls, including harmful practices, is one of the most pervasive violations of human rights across the world.”

For the purpose of this article, the authors developed a survey in August of last year. Filled out by 64 respondents in Bulgaria and 60 in Romania, it paints a similar picture. 

The survey shows that violence is often perpetrated by men or boys. In 69.2% of cases, the aggressor was male — most often someone the victim knew. In Romania, 40% of those who experienced violence reported that the perpetrator was a classmate, a close acquaintance, or a friend. In Bulgaria, an even higher percentage, 51.7%, reported experiencing violence at the hands of a friend. 69.2% of surveyed girls in Bulgaria and 58.5% in Romania reported witnessing violence against another girl.

The figures speak for themselves, but they beg the question: where does this violence come from? Romanian psychologist Andreea Ștefiuc explains that men historically relied on brute force for survival, which led to the normalization of using violence to exert control, including over women. Despite societal progress, this behavior has been passed down through generations. Only recently have women in the Western world begun challenging this norm, but the process of healing these deep-rooted patterns is still ongoing. She emphasizes that society is still learning how men can embrace strength without resorting to violence or suppression.

Experts argue that the patriarchal system not only fuels violence against women and girls but also fosters societal tolerance for it. Kalina Drenska, founder of the Bulgarian feminist NGO LevFem, explains that such violence is not just the result of harmful stereotypes or isolated cases of aggression but is actually more deeply rooted. “It stems from the patriarchal system itself because it positions women as subordinate to men,” she says. 

Cultural stigma discourages victims from speaking out, fearing judgment or retaliation. Many bystanders hesitate to intervene, reinforcing a culture of silence. This mindset is further reflected in widespread victim-blaming in Bulgaria — according to a UNICEF and Coram study, 51.6% of respondents believe that a girl bears some responsibility for being raped if she drinks alcohol, takes drugs, behaves provocatively, has multiple sexual partners, or stays out late at night.

Experts, psychologists, and social workers interviewed for this story suggest that the lack of understanding about what constitutes aggression and violence is a key factor. 

“Many of the girls who come to me and have experienced some form of violence do not always recognize it as such. They often perceive it as a normal part of the relationship, rather than as violence inflicted upon them,” says Valeria Simeonova, a Bulgarian psychologist who works with teachers and children between the ages of 7 and 18, especially those with anxiety disorders. She also says that almost everyone she treats in therapy has experienced some form of violence. 

“The initial reason why the girls come to therapy is not the abuse, but oftentimes through our work in therapy it comes to the surface one way or another,” says Andreea Ștefiuc. 

Maria Boeva, who has been working at a Bulgarian national hotline for abuse survivors for more than 6 years now, also agrees that violence against girls is a taboo issue and something that “we should talk about”.

Survivors Face Systemic Barriers

Victims of domestic and gender-based violence in Bulgaria and Romania face significant obstacles when seeking help. Legal shortcomings mean laws are poorly enforced, judicial processes are slow, and courts often fail to clearly classify cases of assault as rape.

A judicial inspection report published in July 2021 highlights serious issues in how Romanian prosecutors and judges handle cases involving survivors of sexual violence from 10 to 14 years of age. The report reveals deep-seated prejudices and a lack of proper resolution in light of such offenses.

A 2019 study further exposes this systemic failure in Romania: statistically, there is only a 1 in 4 chance that a national court will classify the crime of rape as such. These findings make it clear that neither girls nor women are adequately protected in our society.

Violence can have lasting traumatic effects, often carrying severe consequences into adulthood. For example, Adelina experiences nightmares, and the situation at home affects her school life. For some, the impact is even deeper — Maria still struggles with the emotional scars left by her mother’s abuse. “I haven’t fully moved on — the consequences are still visible, and it has left a deep mark on me. But now, I hope that with time, it will all fade away,” she says.

Institutional and psychological assistance for girls who go through violence is crucial, and so is trying to limit this violence in the first place. 

In Bulgaria and Romania, there are a few state-run centers that help women who have experienced domestic violence where they can also bring their children. Limited support services, which may include shelters and counseling, leave victims with few options, however. Law enforcement failures also persist, with police often dismissing complaints or urging reconciliation with abusers.

When Adelina and her mother called the police after her father attempted to break-in, no help came due to a lack of official documentation of abuse. “That crushes you even more,” Adelina explains. “It means the police won’t help you, the court won’t help you, no one will help you.”

In the absence of state policies, a handful of nonprofits have stepped up to fill the gap, offering a range of services from counseling and mental health support to shelter and legal aid. 

At some point, the situation in Maria’s home with her mother became unbearable. She made the courageous decision to seek refuge with her father. “I ran to my dad’s place because I saw things were getting worse and worse,” she says. “I simply didn’t know what to do anymore. If I stayed with her, nothing would change.”

Now living with her father, Maria is actively working on healing. “I’m trying to work on myself,” she says, “to understand that those words are just words, and they are said with the intention of bringing me down.”

Despite the alarming rates of violence against teenage girls and women, there are glimpses of hope.

In 2023, an 18-year-old Bulgarian girl named Debora was brutally assaulted by an alleged former boyfriend. The cruelty of the attack — the girl was stabbed multiple times with a snap-off knife — and the authorities’ inaction sparked a wave of rallies in dozens of towns across the country. Indeed, the scale of the protests was almost unprecedented. Thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets to express their support for the victim but also to demand that abusers be held accountable. The incident has forced Bulgaria to make swift legal changes. 

In Romania, NGOs lead awareness campaigns emphasizing community responsibility in combating domestic violence. Messages highlight that it’s not just a private matter and urge bystanders to take action. Centrul Filia organizes workshops and protests, including the popular “Together for Women’s Safety” march. Additionally, in 2022, Romania launched a pilot project using electronic bracelets to monitor offenders and enforce protection orders.

Help from friends and family is crucial during hard periods, and showing care and interest might change everything. “I believe that the most important thing is a simple question: ‘Are you okay?’ I believe that the most important thing is to be emotionally present for someone going through something like that,” says Maria from Romania.

The street is empty as I walk home from school. It’s getting dark, clouds hang low, and the wind whips my hair across my face. The usually busy sidewalks are deserted, making the kilometer stretch to my house feel endless.

 

Footsteps echo behind me. A man. Getting closer. I can feel his eyes on me as I clutch my keys between my fingers — a makeshift weapon. He’s right behind me now, his breath practically on my neck. Will I even make it home tonight?

 

Then, he passes by. Relief floods through me, but the fear lingers. This route, this feeling — it’s all too familiar. I have no alternative path home. Tomorrow, I’ll walk this same street after school, wondering again if I’ll make it back safely.

 

Some might call this scene dramatic, but for many girls between 13 and 18, this is daily life: navigating through fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. A simple walk becomes a game of Russian roulette. Most times nothing happens, but the possibility of being catcalled, harassed, or worse always looms.

 

In Bulgaria, 40% of women report they do not feel safe walking outside alone at night. In Romania, the number is even higher — 8 out of 10 women.

 

All of this stems from real dangers, as news about cases of rape, harassment, or even murder circulates daily. Most of the time, justice is not achieved for minors (mostly girls) who are victims of sexual violence. According to a report released by Centrul Filia, 60% of sex crimes in 2020 were perpetrated against minors.

Note: Maria and Adelina’s names have been changed to protect their identity.

Organizations Supporting Women’s Rights and Protection from Violence in Romania:

 

Association for Liberty and Equality of Gender (A.L.E.G.) – A.L.E.G. works to prevent and address violence against women by providing support services, legal counseling, and awareness programs on gender equality and women’s rights.

 

FILIA Center – A feminist NGO advocating for women’s rights, FILIA addresses issues such as domestic violence and sexual harassment. They provide support and advocacy for women affected by violence.

 

Necuvinte Association – Focused on combating domestic violence, Necuvinte offers legal, psychological, and social support to abuse survivors. They also engage in policy advocacy and awareness campaigns.

 

CASA Ioana – The organization provides shelter and support services for women and children escaping domestic violence and homelessness, helping them rebuild their lives.

Organizations Supporting Women’s Rights and Protection from Violence in Bulgaria:

 

Animus Foundation – Animus offers psychological and social support to women and children who are victims of violence. They operate a crisis center and a hotline for victims of domestic violence and trafficking.

 

Turnovgrad Crisis Centre – This institution provides emergency support and shelter for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other forms of abuse.

 

P.U.L.S. Foundation – Supporting children, young people, and adults affected by violence, P.U.L.S. offers assistance through a center for social rehabilitation and integration.

 

Samaryani Association – The organization supports individuals who have experienced violence. They operate a Consultative and Informational Center and a hotline.

 

Emprove Association – Focused on empowering women, particularly survivors of domestic violence, Emprove provides resources and support for rebuilding their lives.

This story is part of the Beyond Borders project, organized by the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria in partnership with Bucharest-based Romanian publication Gen Revista. The initiative is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

By Diana Haiduc and Polin Savova 

Tobacco remains a significant public health issue, with devastating effects evident cross-generationally in Bulgaria and Romania. The Tobacco Atlas reports a grim reality: 8.4% of all deaths in Bulgaria result from tobacco use, reflecting the severity of the issue within the nation.

The Tobacco Landscape in Bulgaria and Romania

According to the same source, Romania’s adult smoking prevalence stands at 27%, with 8.3% of adolescents aged 15–19 smoking cigarettes in 2020. While these numbers indicate a slight decline in cigarette consumption, Romanian respiratory specialist Zsuzsanna Stupeczky warns that this trend is offset by a rising preference for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. In recent years, the percentage of adolescents using such products has significantly increased across various countries (World Health Organization).

“I started smoking at around 14 when I was very stressed because of exams and problems at home. I felt the need for something to calm me down,” says Dragoș (name changed for privacy), a 15-year-old student from Romania. He has already noticed that nicotine is addictive and that his immune system has weakened, making him more susceptible to colds.

17-year-old Maria (name also changed) from Cluj-Napoca has been smoking for two years and has noticed herself becoming more irritable. She admits that smoking is affecting her mental health and fears she may develop serious health problems if she doesn’t quit.

A study by the Romanian Public Health Institute conducted from October to December 2022 revealed that 50% of high school students had smoked e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products—an alarming indicator of the growing popularity of these alternatives.

Similarly, Bulgaria has witnessed an increase in alternative tobacco consumption. A 2024 survey conducted by the Medical University of Plovdiv found that 3% of children aged 6 to 9 vape, while 2% consume traditional cigarettes. This disturbing trend suggests that even the youngest members of society are being drawn into tobacco use.

The Role of the Tobacco Industry

The tobacco industry has evolved strategically, leveraging modern technologies and digital platforms to appeal to a new generation. Colorful packaging, enticing flavors, and aggressive social media marketing contribute to the growing appeal of these products among young consumers. Bulgarian activist Pavel Antonov describes this trend:

“Many young people are drawn to the fragrances, the flavors, and the perceived prestige of using these new products. The scariest part is that the industry understands this psychology all too well.”

For minors, the packaging and promotional strategies are particularly enticing. Furthermore, the lack of adequate public awareness about the long-term health consequences compounds the issue. In Bulgaria, efforts by the World Health Organization and the government to implement international tobacco control conventions have not gained significant traction. Meanwhile, paid influencers on social media portray vaping as a trendy and stylish lifestyle choice, further exacerbating the problem.

“Both traditional smoking and vaping have negative effects on health. Vaping is often considered to be safer than smoking, but it also causes health problems. Both vaping and smoking are addictive and introduce potentially harmful chemicals into the body. The long-term effects of vaping are still unknown,” warns Zsuzsanna Stupeczky, adding that alongside the emergence of vaping, diseases such as EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping product use Associated Lung Injury) have also appeared.

When asked why they started smoking or vaping, many adolescents express a lack of concern about the future consequences. Common responses include:

• “I haven’t tried to quit smoking because I don’t think I need to. I feel good when I smoke and don’t see why I should quit.”
• “I don’t think smoking affects me now or [will] in the future. I feel good now and don’t think about long-term consequences.”

Legislative Efforts and Challenges

In response to this growing crisis, Romania introduced law changes last spring aimed at regulating the sale and packaging of all tobacco products. Bulgaria has also implemented similar restrictions. However, according to a Euronews survey, Bulgaria had the highest rate of smokers over the age of 15 in all of Europe in 2020.

To combat tobacco use, the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Life was formed. In 2009, Bulgarian lawmakers passed a law banning smoking in enclosed public spaces. However, even before it could take full effect, tobacco industry lobbyists pushed for its repeal, highlighting the significant influence of the industry on policymaking.

A Call for Unified Action

“People’s personal choice is important; everyone can do what they want. These may sound appealing, but we’re talking about addiction here,” says Pavel Antonov. He believes that the government must be extremely strong and prepared to face significant lobbying pressure in order to implement policies that serve the interests of young people and the general population.

Addressing tobacco addiction effectively demands comprehensive and coordinated action. While legislative measures represent crucial steps forward, broader strategies—including widespread public education campaigns, stringent advertising controls, and rigorous policy enforcement—are necessary.

The battle against tobacco and its alternative forms requires collective involvement from governments, communities, families, and individuals. Only through a unified, persistent approach can society safeguard younger generations from the harmful consequences of tobacco and vaping.

This story is part of the Beyond Borders project, organized by the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria in partnership with Bucharest-based Romanian publication Gen Revista. The initiative is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.