Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has proposed sending children involved in bullying to temporary juvenile detention facilities, according to agency spokesperson Olga Katkova. The recommendation was presented to a government commission.
Katkova noted that most children who bully their peers are below the age of criminal or administrative liability. She argued that the proposed measures would enable authorities to better address this group of minors.
The spokesperson did not clarify how long children would remain in these detention centers or how law enforcement would identify bullying cases.
The initiative has drawn criticism from Eva Merkacheva, a journalist and member of Russia’s Human Rights Council (HRC). She warned that isolating children could cause severe psychological distress.
"We don’t know how they’ll cope in such an environment or who they’ll be surrounded by. Bringing bullies together could reinforce their behavior," Merkacheva stated. "Minors in Russia are typically detained only as a last resort because prolonged isolation with similar offenders increases criminal tendencies."
She pointed out that juvenile crime rates significantly declined after authorities stopped placing teenagers in pre-trial detention centers.
Data from the "Trauma Center" project reveals that 38% of Russians have faced school bullying, with one in four admitting to being direct victims.