Preventing violence and crime

The work against violence and crime requires broad-based cooperation between various parties. At the national level, the ministries and the agencies operating under them promote multidisciplinary work, for example, through joint action plans. The ministries have their own roles to play in implementing the plans. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health acts as the coordinating ministry for some of these plans and participates in the joint work related to other plans. 
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health takes part in the prevention of violence and family violence against women and the work to combat violence against children. The Ministry is responsible for drawing up the following cross-sectoral plans and monitoring the progress of this work:

  • Action Plan for the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) 
  • Action Plan for the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) 
  • Non-Violent Childhoods planning work 
  • Barnahus development work

The Ministry also guides and supervises mediation in criminal and civil cases. In addition, it participates in the cross-sectoral work to prevent trafficking in human beings, the crime prevention work and the prevention of honour-related violence, violent radicalisation and extremism, for example.