Finland's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published a 33-step action plan that aims to prevent the sexual abuse of children.
The strategy — which involves cooperation between parents, teachers, law enforcement and other organisations — is part of Finland's fulfillment of an obligation to follow an EU convention aiming to tackle all forms of sexual abuse against children.
The Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse — usually referred to as the Lanzarote Convention — spells out how European states should adopt legislation to "prevent sexual violence, to protect child victims and to prosecute perpetrators."
Finland signed the convention in 2007 and ratified it in 2011. The ministry's action plan is to be implemented during 2022–2025.
Cooperation key
The ministry said that cooperation between adults who are responsible for protecting kids is crucial to the strategy. Its 33-step action plan includes measures such as improving sex education for young people and providing them with age-appropriate materials on safe practices.
The plan also recommends that police investigations of crimes committed against children should be regularly monitored and "the criminal record of adults involved in children’s and young people’s hobbies and leisure activities must be checked," according to a ministry release issued on Wednesday.
The ministry also said it plans to launch a website "against bullying, harassment, discrimination, violence and hate speech."
Abuse statistics
According to the ministry, around eight percent of fourth and fifth graders and about 30 percent of eighth and ninth graders experienced some form of sexual harassment last year.
Citing various school health and related surveys, the ministry said two percent of fourth and fifth graders and nine percent of eighth and ninth graders had been sexually abused in 2021.
After consulting kids between the ages of 15-17, the ministry said the youngsters wished for adults to discuss the topic of sexual abuse with kids plainly, telling them what is right and wrong, in age-appropriate ways.
The ministry said the youths hoped that adults would help them stay hopeful and offer support in seeking help, in cases of abuse.
Young people also noted they would like to see more preventative measures and offering low-threshold opportunities to seek assistance, according to the ministry.