MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. More than 70% of Russians believe that children's rights are well-protected in Russia, according to a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM).

"The majority of Russians (74%) believe that children's rights are well-protected in our country, with 19% absolutely sure of this and 55% noting that their rights are mostly protected). The opposite opinion is shared by 16% of respondents," the pollster said in a report.

According to the poll, four in ten Russians (41%) believe that it is necessary to improve laws and do a better job protecting children's rights. About a third of respondents (29%) say that nothing needs to be changed. Another 16% of respondents say that there are already too many laws protecting children.

More than a quarter of Russians (28%) have heard about children’s rights being violated in their community over the past year, 7% hear about it frequently. Seven in ten respondents (69%) have not personally heard of such cases. Factors influencing the results of the survey include respondents’ age (44% of Russians under 25 are familiar with children’s rights violations), as well as whether or not the respondent lived in an urban area and income. Thus, people living in large cities are more likely to encounter reports of violations of children's rights (34% in Moscow and St. Petersburg, 38% in cities with over a million people, and 21% in rural areas). As many as 36% of people in poor economic circumstances hear about such situations, compared to 23% among those who are well off.

According to the survey, the majority of respondents (85%) believe that schools should teach children their rights and how to protect them. Every tenth Russian (10%) holds the opposite opinion.

The nation-wide telephone survey, conducted on October 15, 2023, involved more than 1,600 Russians aged 18 and above. The survey was carried out through telephone interviews based on a stratified random sample from the list of cell phone numbers active in Russia. The data was weighted by socio-demographic parameters. The margin of error does not exceed 2.5% at a 95% confidence level.