The Bulgarian report analyses the opinions of children – victims of trafficking – accommodated in residential-type institutions, about the services they received from professionals who had previously been trained in the framework of the Mario project. For this purpose an inquiry (semi-structured interview), focus groups and a group discussion was made with *20 girls from the Crisis Centre for Children – victims of trafficking in Balvan, Veliko and Tarnovo districts.
One group of questions was directed toward the evaluations, expectations and requirements of the girls accommodated in the Crisis Centre of the importance and results of the social policy for child protection and their participation in planning and provision of services for children. The question “What would you like to be done for improving services for children?”, received answers which were very concrete and rather emotional and they refer mainly to: the need of ensuring violence-free environment; punishment of violators; creation of more crisis centres and specialized homes where specialists need to make a more precise assessment when the children should be sent back home (if that is possible).
According to 25% of the interviewed girls, adult professionals should have more respect and understanding to the problems of children, be more effective in their work, protect children from parents and other adults and ensure better services for children at risk.
Interviewed girls as a whole were satisfied with the care received in the Crisis Centre. 75% of them declare that there they have received safety, tranquillity, support and hope. The staff gave them respect, love and friendly advice. They also have won the girls’ confidence, taught them to be patient and motivated them for positive correction of their behaviour.
In order to receive more concrete examples of the changes in the behaviour of the children due to the work accomplished with them in the Crisis Centre, an additional question was asked: “What did the staff of the Crisis Centre changed in you with their work and who has helped you most?” The girls frankly identified substantial changes that have occurred in their behaviour, their way of thinking, moral values, etc. During their stay in the Crisis Centre and as a result of the crisis intervention the girls feel more mature, with greater life experience and more positive thinking. This is why the girls said that on leaving the Crisis Centre they would advise the rest and the new girls to know that everything will change for them; that they should not do “foolish things”; that they should take care, they should not surrender and they have to fight the evil; that they should listen to the advice of adults and be careful when they associate with other people outside; they should look ahead and know that better life for them lies ahead.
ECPAT BG/NCS worked in 2011 with about 20 children from 3 Crisis Centres and received direct impressions of the quality of delivered services and the will of the staff to ensure good conditions for the children accommodated there.
The full report is only available in Bulgarian.
