THE CHILD ABUSE IN BULGARIA

The problem with violence among children and adolescents is very popular today. The reason is that the cases of aggressive verbal and physical acts on and among children have become very frequent. The better recognition of child rights, problems and needs will contribute to the elaboration of effective policies and practices for improvement of the state of children in Bulgaria. The legislation, procedures and authorities related to child protection in Bulgaria are described. Data collected from different sources concerning child abuse, are presented. The use of forensic medicine in prevention of child abuse is still not fully implemented in government politics. Actual priorities are common with other countries of the region. Many aspects of violence against children remain hidden for the specialized institutions and for the society, because in most cases these acts are not reported or registered. Reasons for this to happen are the lack of social sensitivity and engagement for prevention of violence against children, the ignorance of child’s right to protection and of everyone’s obligation to inform agencies for child protection about children at risk as well. This is not specific for Bulgaria only, but applies to all the European countries.