Results and policies

This website contains the key conclusions and policies for the coming years of the interim evaluation of the Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan. The situation assessment carried out by specialists is based on survey responses and discussions. 
Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan: Interim evaluation from 2020 to early 2023 (Korpilahti et al. 2023)

According to the estimate, progress has been very good in 44 measures, while work on another 44 measures is at least in the early stages or in the planning stage. Three measures have not yet been launched, and the interim evaluation was not able to assess progress in two measures.

Based on steering group decisions, three new initiatives and additional measures were also taken in the interim evaluation phase: violence between children and young people in educational institution environments, violence in young people’s intimate relationships and street violence among minors. 

Closer cooperation between different stakeholders

Extensive cross-administrative and multidisciplinary collaboration is a key premise for all the measures of the Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan. 

In the early years of the plan implementation (2020–2022), cooperation increased between the stakeholders working with children, young people and families and related phenomena. The promotion of entries already included in the legal basis has also progressed (Chapter 3.1).

For example, the Barnahus activities coordinated by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in relation to the operation of forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology units and the development of satellite services expanded well from 2020 to early 2023. A similar trend is also visible in the LASTA screening approach. 
Website for Barnahus work (barnahus.fi)

The work has raised awareness of the different forms and consequences of violence. 

Working in accordance with the LASTA screening model and Barnahus activities must be developed in the next 2023–2025 plan period. There is still need for a spreading and establishing the practices and continuing national support. 

Progress has been slowed down by the legislative bottlenecks in the flow of information, particularly in the context of cross-sectoral cooperation. Indeed, the interim evaluation highlights the need to the Investigation of Sexual and Assault Offences against Children (1009/2008), which is nearly 15 years old. It would be important for the reformed act to reflect both the current activities of forensic psychiatry and psychology units and the national development work included in the Barnahus activities. The measures proposed for the development of guardianship for children also require further work.

The rights of the child have been the subject of much attention 

Training and information on the rights of the child has been provided in a nationally relevant way, especially as part of the basic work of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and through the implementation of the National Child Strategy and the work of various organisations (see section 3.2 for more information). 
More information on the implementation of the National Child Strategy (VN 2023, Valto publications archive)

One example of the successful promotion of the rights of the child is the 10-part training package on the rights of the child produced by eOppiva and the Child Strategy and implemented in cooperation with several specialist organisations. This free and open training package can be utilised by decision-makers and specialists as well as those involved in practical work in different operating environments.
Training module on the rights of the child (eOppiva.fi)

Various parties have produced a lot of materials that support the rights and participation of children. The participation of children and young people has been clearly strengthened in education and communication. For example, the implementation of the National Child Strategy included producing a child welfare guide for children and young people who are clients of child welfare services under the leadership of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Child welfare guide for children and young people (Handbook for Child Protection, THL)

Further development needed in domestic violence prevention and social services for families with children

While the measures included in the plan related to domestic violence in families and among those close to them have made progress, some areas that still require development clearly emerged (section 3.3), examples are provided below:

• More methods and tools for asking clients about domestic violence should be included in the service needs assessment.
• Access to help without delay for children and young people who have encountered violence and identifying their need for support, for example through systematically addressing the topic of violence, has not been realised. Services for children, adolescents and families have been reduced, especially during the coronavirus epidemic.
• Child health clinic services and school and student health care services are still not equally available at the national level.
• Positive development has stalled in the decline of particularly psychological violence experienced by children and young people in their families. This is apparent when comparing the results of the 2022 Child Victim Survey to the status in 2013. In particular, the prevalence of psychological violence in families is also visible in the results of the School Health Promotion Study and studies conducted by the Central Union for Child Welfare. Forms of psychological violence include sulking, refusing to speak, name-calling, taunting and swearing, throwing, hitting and kicking objects, and threatening with violence.

According to the interim evaluation, there are shortcomings in the national steering of social services for families with children, such as home services for families with children and family work in relation to national recommendations and regular follow-up studies, for instance. There are clear development needs related to child and family counselling clinic services.

Positive development in supporting mental health

Positive trends can be seen in supporting mental health and promoting safety and security. For example, as part of the implementation of the Mental Health Strategy and Programme for Suicide Prevention, interaction guidance for young people has been developed using the IPC-N model, which is used to prevent and treat depression. 

On the other hand, based on various reports, it is known that the coronavirus pandemic caused a service backlog in school and student health care services. The identification of support needs and the availability of help for children and young people have not been realised in student welfare services as required by the law.

Young people can address their coping with the professionals involved in their daily lives, such as student welfare personnel at schools and educational institutions. Self-care programmes and digital applications that promote mental health have also been developed extensively.
Digital solutions (Mental Health website, THL)

Progress in combating sexual violence

Many measures to prevent sexual violence and minimise related harms have progressed, even though there is variation between the different measures. The availability of educational content on preventing sexual violence and minimising harm is good (Chapter 3.4). 

The following are still important:

• sufficient resources in everyday operating environments from child health clinic services and early childhood education and care to the work of schools and educational institutions 
• systematic and coordinated cooperation between national measures, including the implementation of the National Child Strategy and the so-called Lanzarote and Istanbul Conventions
• dialogue between the wellbeing services counties and different stakeholders in the municipal field of operations
• well-functioning basic services, the availability of which continues to be deficient in accordance with the regulations. Systematically addressing the topic of violence lowers the threshold for discussing violence from both clients’ and employees’ perspectives. Without a confidential client relationship and basic services ensuring the continuity of care, the cycle of violence is more likely to continue for the victim and this prolongation may even have fatal consequences.
• raising awareness and providing sexual education and training on safety skills in homes and different everyday operating environments. Children and young people are increasingly exposed to sexual harassment, grooming and violence, for example in digital environments.

Services for persons with a sexual interest in children have been developed in Finland mainly under the leadership of organisations and various kinds of project funding. Based on the results of the interim evaluation and assessments by specialists, there is a clear message that a national coordinating body and a plan for long-term progress are necessary to develop the work involving sexual offenders.

Good progress in measures in environments outside the home 

There has been good progress in measures in environments outside the home included in the action plan (section 3.5). 

A large amount of support material and training has been produced for education and training providers, service providers and personnel for preventing, intervening in and monitoring violence, bullying and harassment as well as sexual and safety skills education.

An example of these endeavours includes the No to All Violence website, which was produced as a part of an operational programme coordinated by the National Child Strategy and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The website and new materials help identify and intervene in bullying. 
No to All Violence website (OPH 2023)

There is still a need for more material targeted at special groups in certain areas, for example in relation to particularly vulnerable children and young people.

Data on the assessment of bullying, violence and harassment must be collected as part of the activities in the coming years. Research and the utilisation of research findings is also needed, as is joint national development work in areas such as the coordination of the content of sexual education and professionals’ needs for additional training.

The promotion of some measures would require separate funding for purposes such as producing materials targeted at specific groups or needs related to monitoring. Steering group work and specialist assessments have highlighted a need to expand the prevention of violence to recreational activity environments for children and young people beyond sports and exercise in the coming years. 

Vulnerable groups and special issues

The interim evaluation also includes measures on particularly vulnerable groups of children and young people and on some specific issues:

Children and young people with an immigrant background
Children and young people who have immigrated to Finland have been taken into account in integration, for example by creating a national operating model. The implementation has also been promoted by the reform of the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration. Despite the availability of the operating model, its comprehensive application is currently challenged by a lack of resources. An integration package that enhances integration has not yet been prepared.

Substitute care in child welfare
Some of the measures related to substitute care in child welfare have been taken. Substitute care with awareness of violence requires continuous monitoring and guidance in the work of supervisory authorities and wellbeing services counties. At the national level, there is a need for an operating model for reporting violence in substitute care and a need for more effective communication of the measures in the wellbeing services counties and municipalities.

Children and young people with disabilities
We need more information on how many children and young people with impaired functional capacity or disabilities experience violence or bullying in their daily lives. There is also a need for educational materials directly targeted at this group. Safety skills and sexual education often do not pay sufficient attention to situations and risk factors for violence that particularly children with disabilities or impaired functional capacity are exposed to.  These include different assistance situations.

LGBTQ children and young people
An information package (website and training) for professionals on LGBTQ children and young people was created as a part of the implementation of the National Child Strategy coordinated by THL.
Information package on LGBTQ children and young people for professionals (Gender Equality webpage, THL)

Female genital mutilation (FGM) and non-medical circumcision of boys
The work on an operational programme on female genital mutilation (FGM) has progressed well. By contrast, the discussion on the non-medical circumcision of boys and its timing has made no progress yet.

Honour-based violence
While many measures related to training in the theme of honour-based violence have been completed, they have not yet been comprehensively carried out by all authorities. The guidelines for professionals on honour-related violence that threatens children have progressed in a goal-oriented manner, as have the measures to promote the participation and safety of children and young people in religious communities. 

Human trafficking
In the next few years, an information package on human trafficking will be prepared for those working with children and young people. It is important that its contents take into account the measures taken in violence prevention and sexual education as part of the basic work of the operating environments of children, young people and families (e.g. universal services, work of organisations).

Extremism and radicalisation
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the National Board of Education have promoted research related to violent extremism and radicalisation and developed various research-based models in cooperation with various ministries, expert bodies and organisations.

New initiatives

Solutions for violence between children and young people in educational institution environments

Cohesive approaches promote the realisation of equality. Currently, all schools do not share the same attitude towards rule-breaking, bullying, harassment and violence. 

The evaluation (section 4.2) highlights two new measures and other methods for solving peer violence and promoting safety and security in educational institutions:

• conducting a survey
• publishing a guide on equal intervention
• peer mediation
• developing notification practices. 

In addition, the new initiative and policies will be taken into account in many respects in the implementation of the measures already included in the action plan. 

Violence in young people’s intimate relationships 

Some young people may have harmful childhood experiences, such as violence and neglect of care, which may also expose them to violence in their intimate relationships. So far, relatively little research has been conducted on violence in young people’s intimate relationships.
Contested Consent (CoCo): Social and Digital Borders and Orders of Intimacy in Young People’s Romantic Engagements (2019-2023)

The measures of the new initiative related to violence in young people’s intimate relationships (section 4.3) have been integrated into the existing measures. For example, research and development related to safety and violence in intimate relationships as well as experiences of participation is carried out by organising digital panels for young people on identifying, preventing and helping the victims and perpetrators of violence in intimate relationships.

Street violence among minors

A long historical examination shows that the number of violent crimes committed by minors has been constantly decreasing, and there was particularly a major decline in the violent crimes committed by young people in the early 2010s. 

However, when approaching the 2020s, the positive trend in violent crime was reversed. Since 2015, assaults and robberies between teenagers have particularly become more common, and in the 2020s, the most serious offences against life and health, homicides and their attempts, have increased the most serious offences against life and health, homicides and their attempts have increased.

Operating models have also been developed and shortcomings in the service system have been investigated. The interim evaluation process was considered to provide a natural opportunity to launch and highlight the background related to the phenomenon and necessary measures. Based on a decision of the steering group, violence committed by minor children and young people in public spaces and its prevention, intervention and consequences will be included in the content of the action plan and this work will be coordinated and monitored in the coming years by a specialist working group established under the steering group in late 2022 (see section 4.4).

References

Bellis et al. 2023. Tackling Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) State of the Art and Options for Action. WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Well-being, Public Health Wales, UK , WHO Collaborating Centre for Violence Prevention, Liverpool John Moores University, UK and WHO European office & Regional Office for Europe. 

Haikkola, L., Hästbacka, N. & Pekkarinen, E. (eds.) (2019). Kuka vastaa nuorten rikoksiin? Ammattilaisten, nuorten ja kustannusten näkökulmia palveluihin. Publications Publication series of the Government’s reporting and research activities 2019:34. 

Isotalo A. 2022. Poliisien tulkintoja suostumuksesta ja seksuaaliväkivallasta nuorten seurustelusuhteissa [Interpretations of the police on consent and sexual violence in young people's intimate relationships]. Janus 30, 3, 269–288. 

Kaakinen & Näsi. 2021. Nuorten rikoskäyttäytyminen ja uhrikokemukset 2020. University of Helsinki, Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy Katsauksia; 47/2021.

Kalmari H. (ed.). 2022. Kasvatus- ja perheneuvonta 2020-luvulla : Kasvatus- ja perheneuvonnan kansallisen kehittämisprosessin loppuraportti. THL Working paper 2022: 30

Korpilahti U, Malja M, Jääskeläinen P. & Murdoch T. (eds.). 2023. Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan : Interim evaluation from 2020 to early 2023. Reports and Memorandums of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2023:17

Malja & October. 2022: Lanzarote Convention: National Action Plan for 2022–2025. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health publications 2022:8. 

Ranta K, Raevuosi A. & Karukivi M. Interpersonal counselling for adolescents (IPC-N). EBPs in health and well-being promotion : 1/2022.

Riski & Viuhko. 2022.  Action Plan for the Istanbul Convention for 2022–2025. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health publications 2022:7. 

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). 2023. Terveystarkastusten ja muiden käyntien toteumat äitiys- ja lastenneuvolassa vuonna 2021 sekä kouluterveydenhuollossa lukuvuonna 2021–2022 : Lasten ja nuorten terveystarkastuksia tehtiin edelleen vähemmän kuin ennen koronaepidemian alkua.Authors K. Mölläri, N. Hauhio, T. Hakulinen & M. Hietanen-Peltola. THL Statistical report 4/2023.

Contact information

Ulla Korpilahti
Development Manager
Coordinator, Non-Violent Childhoods planning work, Secretary, steering group
Welfare and Health Promotion, THL
[email protected]
tel. +358 29 524 8668

Marjo Malja
Senior Adviser, Social Affairs
Chair, Steering group for preventing violence against children
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
[email protected]
Tel. +358 29 516 3581