Every adult is responsible for ensuring that children can live without violence – Action plan guides violence prevention in Finland

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published the Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan for 2026–2033 aimed at preventing all forms of violence against children. The plan, which will be implemented at the government level, is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Lanzarote Convention and national statutes that require all forms of violence against children to be combated.

The plan includes 27 measures in five thematic areas focusing on knowledge base development, multidisciplinary cooperation and legislation, inclusion, domestic and sexual violence prevention, and safety outside the home and in digital environments.

A good knowledge base is required

Preventing violence against children calls for a comprehensive and high-quality knowledge base. In Finland, the foundation for anti-violence work is based on school surveys, data and statistics from official registers, and information collected by the authorities.

One of the action plan’s objectives is to ensure the continuity of key violence-related surveys, such as the Child Victim Survey. This is also vital for supporting ethically sustainable decision-making.

Violence experienced by children is harmful

According to the results of surveys such as the School Health Promotion study, far too many children in Finland still experience domestic violence in their daily lives. Reports to the police indicate that the number of cases related to domestic violence is on the rise. All adults and communities are responsible for ensuring that children can live safely and free from violence in various growth and operating environments. It is essential to raise societal awareness of this issue and strive to ensure that all operators – from educators to authorities and experts – work together towards a shared goal.

In addition to preventing violence, it is important to provide support and assistance to those who have already experienced it. Support must be easily available, and it must be provided early to any children, young people and parents who need it.

“Every child must have the right to a safe childhood free from violence. Far too many children still experience or witness violence, which may have very serious consequences for their growth and development. New required measures include enacting legislation to protect children from having to witness domestic violence, making it easier to bring up matters in services for children and young people, and protecting children from harmful social media content,” says Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

Effective sexual education is key to preventing sexual violence

Sexual violence against children seriously violates their right to self-determination and can cause trauma. Effective sexual and safety awareness education plays a key role in preventing it. Sexual education should also address dating abuse and phenomena such as harassment, grooming, threats and violence occurring in digital environments, including social media and online games.

The action plan commits to comprehensive age-appropriate sexual education that helps children and young people learn skills such as setting personal boundaries.

The plan also includes measures improving safety in early childhood education and care, educational institutions, youth work and leisure activities, as well as tackling bullying and violence at school, street and youth violence, violent extremism, human trafficking and honour-based violence.

A steering group will be appointed to monitor the plan

The new action plan continues the extensive, multidisciplinary work on non-violent childhoods to which multiple operators have contributed during 2018–2025. A wide range of experts and researchers from ministries, specialist organisations and associations took part in drawing up the plan.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will appoint an interadministrative steering group to monitor and guide the plan’s implementation from 2026 to 2033. Moving forward, the plan will also include monitoring and assessing the National Action Plan for the Lanzarote Convention and national Barnahus work.

Inquiries:

Marjo Malja, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 581, marjo.malja(at)gov.fi

Ulla Korpilahti, Development Manager, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, tel. +358 295 248 668, ulla.korpilahti(at)thl.fi