Emergency response team Púlsinn launches to address violence among children
The emergency response team Púlsinn is now operational. The goal of Púlsinn is to quickly respond to violent behavior, support the child and family, and prevent further violence.
The team is a collaborative project among the capital area municipalities, the capital area police, and The National Agency for Children and Families. The team is part of the government's broader response to violence among and against children and is funded by the Ministry of Education and Children.
During the ministry's fall grant round for municipalities, nearly 500 million ISK was distributed across 15 nationwide projects. The largest single grant — 240 million ISK — was awarded to support the development of a new centralized emergency response team for child violence cases: Púlsinn.
Púlsinn is staffed by seasoned specialists with deep experience working with young people in crisis. The team is responsible for responding to violence cases, streamlining communication channels, and ensuring effective collaboration across all service providers and systems.
Púlsinn marks an important milestone
By intervening early with timely, targeted support for children who engage in violent behavior, the team aims to reduce reoffending and lower the overall number of violence cases among children.
"We must never accept violence among or against children. Our duty is to respond with compassion, resolve, and accountability — keeping the child at the center of everything we do. Púlsinn is a vital milestone. Through a coordinated effort, we can better protect children and reduce violence," said Inga Sæland, minister of education and children. "The ministry issued a call for proposals from municipalities last year with exactly that goal in mind. Púlsinn is now up and running, and more projects are on the way. I truly believe and hope these initiatives will deliver meaningful results for children's well-being," said Inga Sæland, minister of education and children.
"This project is part of our essential response to violence among children. Púlsinn's goal is to accelerate responses to violence cases, clarify communication channels, and strengthen collaboration in our shared oversight of children and families. We know early intervention and targeted support can reduce reoffending and bring down the number of such cases," said Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir.
Working to prevent further violence
Púlsinn is based at Reykjavík City's South Center, but team members travel between municipalities as situations demand. The team steps into cases as they arise, assesses the risk of further violence, and works to resolve communication and relationship difficulties. The aim is to eliminate the risk of further violence before the team's involvement concludes. The team follows a clear protocol signed by representatives of all participating municipalities, ensuring cases are handled consistently.
A diverse and experienced team
Andrea Marel, a leisure and social studies specialist, serves as Púlsinn's team leader, supported by eight other specialists with diverse backgrounds, experience, and language skills.
The team includes another leisure and social studies specialist, alongside social workers and psychologists. Staff members have worked across several municipalities and share extensive experience working with youth who display at-risk behavior and face various life challenges.
Service providers can request the team's involvement
Schools, youth centers, social and child protection services, police, and other agencies serving children can engage the Púlsinn team. If parents or guardians believe Púlsinn should be involved in their child's case, they should first reach out to one of the parties listed above to request assistance connecting with the team.