On Tuesday morning at the Renaissance Convention Center, Stichting Hunto officially opened its conference titled “Breaking the Silence – Let’s Stop Bullying.” The event was organized especially for professionals working in education and social development. Minister of Kingdom Relations, Education, Youth, Innovation, and Sports, Gerlien Croes, was among the keynote speakers and took the opportunity to congratulate Stichting Hunto for bringing together various important organizations through this initiative.
Minister Croes emphasized the importance of openly discussing a topic as serious as bullying, which significantly affects the mental health of young people. She noted that bullying and mental health issues continue to rise worldwide, creating a profound impact on children—especially in today’s digital era where bullying extends into social media.
The Minister shared that the issue doesn’t start only at school; social media plays a major role in reinforcing the problem. The Government of Aruba has already presented its action plan for strengthening the support structure within the education system. Additional psychologists have been made available, and the government is also working on increasing the number of social workers, as the current demand exceeds capacity.
According to Minister Croes, addressing bullying is not solely the responsibility of the Government. It is a shared responsibility of the entire community. Even if the government hires more social workers, real change can only happen when parents, families, and society understand the seriousness of the issue and work together to break the cycle. At the same time, government structures must guarantee continuous support.
“On behalf of the Government of Aruba, I am very grateful that we were able to contribute to Stichting Hunto’s conference. These are the types of initiatives that must continue,” Minister Gerlien Croes concluded.
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