While YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are the primary sources of information for young people in Romania, when it comes to matters of romance and sexuality, they rely more on family and friends.
The study revealed that 10% of boys and 6% of girls use pornography as a reference for sex education. Researchers examined five forms of abuse—emotional, physical, sexual, financial, and digital—to better understand young people’s experiences in relationships.
Young people primarily seek information online, though television remains a significant source, with 31% still tuning in for updates.
The most frequently used sources of information are:
Other key findings include:
Additionally, 17% of young people have only one peer they can confide in about these topics, while:
When it comes to sex education, the main sources of information are:
Teenagers aged 14-15 rely more on family (61%) and school (43%) for information than older age groups. However, 10% of boys and 6% of girls admit to using pornography as a model for understanding sex.
Most young people (39%) report that their parents accept their romantic relationships but are eager to know as many details as possible. This attitude is most common among 14-15-year-olds (46%) and 16-19-year-olds (42%), decreasing with age (31% among 20-25-year-olds).
Interestingly, parents of boys tend to be more inquisitive than parents of girls, with 44% of boys stating that their parents seek details compared to 34% of girls.
The study examined five forms of abuse—emotional, physical, sexual, financial, and digital—to assess young people’s experiences.
When asked directly whether they had been a victim, perpetrator, or witness to these forms of abuse, respondents reported relatively low numbers.
However, when questioned about specific behaviors associated with abuse (without explicitly labelling them as such), reports increased significantly.
For three out of five forms of abuse, girls reported higher exposure than boys—whether as victims, witnesses, or even perpetrators.
“The data reveals a stark contrast between girls and boys in the sample,” explains psychologist Silvia Ciubotaru (Guță), coordinator of the In a Relationship project.
“Girls tend to have a more extensive emotional vocabulary, which allows them to better recognize abusive situations and even take responsibility for their own actions as aggressors. This doesn’t necessarily mean that girls are more aggressive than boys – rather, they are more aware and capable of identifying abuse when it occurs.”
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